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business portal reports citing a joint statement from the companies on Telegram.
Russia’s largest e-commerce operator Wildberries maintained its guidance for turnover growth of 60% in 2024 and will revise the outlook later this year, the company’s founder and CEO, Tatiana Bakalchuk, told Tass at the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Russia’s largest e-commerce operator will soon appoint Olga Naumova as its executive director or the CEO, RBC business portal reports citing unnamed sources. This will be the first appointment of an executive to run Wildberries. Since its day one the e-commerce major has been managed by its founder and the richest woman in Russia, Tatiana Bakalchuk, and her husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk. Naumova had an executive background in such real sector companies as Severstal, Cherepovets, Novolipetsk Steel and Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant. However, in recent years she has become one of the most prominent top managers in the FMCG market. Between 2013 and 2018 she headed the Pyaterochka retail chain, part of X5 Group. Under Naumova X5 overtook rival Magnit as the largest offline retailer in Russia. Naumova then helmed Magnit in June 2018. After a year and a half she left the company due to disagreements with the board over development strategy.
Wildberries is exploring the start of operations in Oman and Turkey, whereas in the future it may consider entry into Latin American and African countries, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian online retailer Tatiana Bakalchuk said in an interview with TASS before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
She said in April that the company would announce the start of its platforms in three more countries in the following 2-3 months. In an interview Bakalchuk confirmed such plans. "As we promised we will announce that, though we ask for a little more time. So far, I can say that, for example, we are already looking towards Oman, which is one of this year’s SPIEF guests. We are also mulling Turkey," she said.
The company considers China, the Gulf countries and CIS states prior for this year from the viewpoint of foreign markets, chief executive added. "In the future, I think, we will be ready to consider Latin American and, probably, African countries," she noted.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will be held on June 5-8. This year’s theme will be "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information
165 RUSSIA Country Report July 2024 www.intellinews.com