The ProfMedia media holding will change its president: instead of Rafael Akopov, the company will be headed by Vladimir Ryabokon from VimpelCom. This was reported on the website of the Interros company, which owns the ProfMedia holding.

Rafael Akopov's contract with ProfMedia expires in January 2013. The top manager notified the company's board of directors in advance that he was not going to renew it. Akopov has led the holding since 2004. In 2011, he left the post of president for several months, becoming chairman of the company's board of directors. In December 2011, Akopov again became president of ProfMedia, and the position of chairman of the board of directors was taken by Larisa Zelkova, deputy general director of Interros.

Vladimir Ryabokon, appointed to replace Akopov, has held senior positions at VimpelCom (Beeline) for the past several years. In 2004, Ryabokon was invited to the company as vice president for corporate development, and in 2008 he became executive vice president for international business development at VimpelCom.

As stated in Larisa Zelkova’s appeal, “Vladimir Ryabokon is faced with the task of further developing ProfMedia, improving operational activities, increasing the synergy of the company’s structural units, as well as possible restructuring aimed at increasing the value of the holding.”

The ProfMedia holding was founded in 1997 and is one of the largest media companies in Russia. "ProfMedia" includes the television holding "ProfMedia TV" (channels "TV3", MTV and "2x2"), the film company "Central Partnership", the united company "Afisha" and "Rambler" (includes projects of the publishing house "Afisha", Internet - publication "Lenta.ru", portal "Rambler"), radio stations "Autoradio", Energy, "Radio Romantika" and "Humor FM".

ProfMedia holding will replace its president