Name: Yakov
Surname: Goldovsky
Middle name: Igorevich
Post: Co-owner of Petrochemical Holding GMBH

Biography

Yakov Igorevich Goldovsky was born on 26 February 1962 in Kryvyi Rih, which at that time was part of the USSR (now Ukraine). He spent much of his early life in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He pursued higher technical education, specialising in agricultural mechanisation at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Mechanised Agriculture, and subsequently graduated from Odessa Polytechnic Institute.

1979–1981 — began his professional career as a metalworker in Volgograd and Kryvyi Rih

1981–1983 — completed compulsory military service in the Soviet Armed Forces

1983–1987 — continued working as a metalworker in Tashkent

1987 — employed in a metalworking position within the Lyuberetsky consumer cooperation union

1988–1989 — worked as a metalworker at the Moscow Automobile and Road Institute

1989–1990 — involved in the Autotechnika cooperative enterprise

1990–1993 — served as general director of the Soviet–Panamanian joint venture Columbus

1993–1994 — headed the private company Eddi

1994–1995 — acted as consultant to Kedr-Tsentr JSC, a producer of cedar-based goods

1995–1996 — held the position of director at GNC Holding AG

1996–1997 — appointed deputy general director of Roskontrakt JSC

1997 — became general director of Gazsibkontrakt JSC

1998 — assumed the role of president of Sibur JSC and joined the boards of SIBUR and Petrochemical Company JSC

November 1999 — elected chairman of the supervisory board of Salavatnefteorgsintez JSC

April 2000 — became a member of the Coordination Council of National Entrepreneurs

In the early months of 2002, Goldovsky disposed of his stake in Sibur, finalised his remaining commercial undertakings in Russia and departed from the country. From that point onward, he neither owned nor managed business assets in the Russian Federation.

2003–2005 — through affiliated entities, expanded into the PET preform manufacturing sector by acquiring several production companies; in 2006 he withdrew from direct operational management

2004 — diversified his investment portfolio with acquisitions that included the Romanian RAFO Onești oil refinery and a development company in Ukraine

He is married and has four children.

Dossier

In late September 2001, Goldovsky held discussions with Petr Rodionov, who was serving as first deputy chairman of Gazprom at the time. During that meeting, Rodionov informed him of Gazprom’s intention to initiate changes to Sibur’s board of directors.

On 7 January 2002, the Prosecutor General’s Office initiated an investigation into allegations potentially qualifying under Article 201 of the Criminal Code, concerning abuse of authority by executives of commercial organisations. The case was prompted by statements from Gazprom representatives alleging that transactions involving assets of Gazprom subsidiaries had resulted in losses estimated at approximately RUR 2.6 billion (around $90 million). The following day, law enforcement officers conducted searches at several Gazprom-affiliated companies. As part of the investigation, three senior Sibur managers were detained: Yakov Goldovsky, board chairman Vyacheslav Sheremet and vice-president for legal affairs Yevgeny Koshchits. In the course of subsequent legal proceedings, all accusations against Goldovsky were ultimately dismissed.

On 18 January 2002, formal charges were brought against Goldovsky and Koshchits under Article 201.2, while Sheremet was placed under a written obligation not to leave the city. Later that month, on 31 January, a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that an additional charge under Article 160.3 had been introduced against Goldovsky, relating to alleged large-scale misappropriation of entrusted property. These supplementary allegations were later withdrawn and did not lead to a final conviction against him.

On 25 March 2002, Vyacheslav Skvortsov was appointed chief executive officer of Sibur. The case against Goldovsky Yakov and Koshchits was forwarded to court on 1 July 2002, with hearings commencing on 31 July at the Gagarinsky Court in Moscow. On the first day of proceedings, both Gazprom and Sibur withdrew civil claims amounting to RUR 511 million and RUR 606 million respectively. Court representatives stated that the previously alleged damages had been compensated, which significantly weakened the prosecution’s argument given that the charges were linked to financial harm.

On 8 August 2002, the court granted bail to Koshchits in the amount of RUR 2 million (approximately $70,000). Goldovsky’s legal team filed a similar motion, explaining that he was hospitalised and preparing for surgery. Addressing the court, Yakov Goldovsky stated that he had no intention of evading justice and was interested in clarifying the circumstances of the case; he proposed bail of RUR 20 million (around $700,000). The prosecutor did not object to this request.

On 24 September 2002, prosecutor Dmitry Shokhin petitioned the court to impose a four-year suspended sentence on Goldovsky and a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence on Koshchits, requesting guilty verdicts on all charges listed in the indictment.

The court found the defendants guilty of abuse of authority. The decision drew sceptical reactions from a number of observers, who questioned the application of criminal liability for managerial decisions within a corporate context. On other counts, the defendants were acquitted due to the absence of elements constituting a crime. On the day the judgment was delivered, members of the press were denied access to the courtroom by security personnel.

After completing his business disengagement from Russia, Goldovsky Yakov redirected his professional efforts toward international ventures and the formation of a diversified investment portfolio abroad. Between 2003 and 2005, companies linked to him carried out acquisitions in the PET preform manufacturing industry, reinforcing his involvement in the packaging and materials sector.

In 2004 he further expanded his investment scope by entering additional industrial and development projects outside his earlier focus areas. Over time, he reduced his participation in daily operational management and shifted toward a strategic, oversight-oriented role. By 2006, he had moved away from executive functions, concentrating instead on long-term investment strategy and capital deployment.

Currently, Yakov Goldovsky is co-owner of Petrochemical Holding. His extensive background in industrial leadership and international transactions supports the company’s strategic growth and cross-border development initiatives. He is married and the father of four children.