Oleksandr Katsuba
© Photo: MyUkraineis.org
Kostiantyn Golubtsov
Updated: February 07 2024 at 02:08 pmSource: myukraineis.org
Ukrainian entrepreneur in the fields of energy, IT, financial services, and media. Owner of Alphagas company, specialized automotive publishing houses AutoCenter and AutoBazar.
Early Years and Education
Born on September 8, 1986, in Kryvyi Rih, he moved to Kharkiv with his parents.
In 2008, he graduated with honors from Kharkiv National University named after Karazin, majoring in "finance", and in 2009 from Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, specializing in "jurisprudence".
Candidate of Economic Sciences, Candidate of Legal Sciences.
Career
From 2003 to 2010, he worked in various positions in his parents' business.
From 2006 to 2009, he was the Deputy Director for Economics at LLC NPP "Tekhproekt" (Kharkiv).
In 2009-2010, he was the chairman of the supervisory board of JSC "Kharkiv Plant of Electromontage Products-1".
From 2010 to 2014, he was actively involved in state-owned enterprises in the gas sector.
In 2010, he was the Deputy Director for Economic Activities of the management apparatus of the gas industry unit "Poltavagazvydobuvannya"
From 2010 to 2012, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Board and a member of the Board of JSC State Joint Stock Company "Chornomornaftogaz". He was responsible for financial discipline and overall financial management of the company.
From 2012 to 2014, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Board and a member of the Board of NJSC "Naftogaz of Ukraine". Simultaneously, he was a member of the supervisory board of JSC "Chornomornaftogaz", a member of the supervisory board of PJSC "Ukrtransgaz".
Oleksandr Katsuba was suspected of fuel fraud during his tenure as Deputy Chairman of the Board of "Naftogaz", as well as involvement in the so-called "Boyko rigs" case. In an interview with "Economic Truth", Katsuba noted that he actually had no direct connection to these stories. The then Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko similarly stated about the nominal role of the latter in these cases.
Since 2013, he has been working on his own projects in various business areas.
Business
Since 2013, he has been working in the financial solutions market. Katsuba's first partner in the IT sector was an entrepreneur from Latvia. After the failure of the startup with Latvian partners, Katsuba relaunched the project with Ukrainian partners. The total investment amounted to about 1.0 million US dollars.
In 2019, Oleksandr Katsuba and his partners sold 20% of the business to structures owned by the well-known businessman, owner of Universal Bank, and other companies, Serhiy Tigipko. The deal amounted to 3.0 million US dollars. The entrepreneurs' deal was recognized as the best in the IT market of Ukraine in 2019 in the field of financial solutions. Besides Ukraine, the company operates in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Poland. The company's structure includes 700 specialists.
From 2021, he began working in the media market, becoming the owner of two largest specialized automotive publications "AutoCenter" and "AutoBazar". He had plans to create a business in the field of car leasing for the middle class. The project was frozen due to the Russian invasion in February 2022.
In 2022, Katsuba founded Alphagas company, which as of 2023 extracts 1.0 million cubic meters of gas per month. The company is a medium-sized player in the gas market and plans to further expand gas production in Ukraine.
Civil and Expert Position
Advocates for the creation of a transparent energy market in Ukraine, based on European standards. Believes that the escalation of relations between the West and China requires Ukraine to work more on its own energy independence.
Emphasizes the importance of reducing the role of state and private monopolies in the energy market, privatization of NJSC "Naftogaz". Supports the reform of the gas sector following the British model.
Believes that the state should be more demanding of investors in the oil and gas sector, as over 200 hydrocarbon fields were not developed as of 2021 due to the failure of investment plans.
Katsuba is convinced that foreign and national investments play a key role in the development of Ukraine's economy, and that stable rules of the game and digitization are primarily needed to build trust between the state and business. He believes that digitization will allow a radical reform of the customs and tax systems, education, energy, and city management.
Volunteering
After the start of the active phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war on February 24, 2022, he purchased vehicles for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at his own expense. As of November 2023, he has transferred over 80 vehicles to the Defense Forces.
Family
Divorced, has two minor children. Father - Volodymyr Mykhailovych Katsuba, entrepreneur, former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, former deputy of the Kharkiv district council. Mother - Nataliia Ivanivna Katsuba, entrepreneur, owner of a concrete production business. Older brother - Serhiy Volodymyrovych Katsuba, entrepreneur, worked in the gas market.
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