Russia: Ramzan Kadyrov's nephew appointed CEO of Danone's Russian subsidiary

Europe 1 with AFP // photo credit: ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP 15:59 p.m., July 19, 2023, modified at 16:01 p.m., July 19, 2023

A nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a loyal ally of Vladimir Putin, has been appointed as the new chief executive of Danone's Russian subsidiary, a few days after the seizure of the French giant's assets in Russia. The arrival of Yakoub Zakriev, 32, at the head of Danone's Russian subsidiary has been notified in the Spark-Interfax database, which lists the main legal information of companies in Russia. On Telegram, Chechen Information Minister Akhmed Dudayev confirmed Tuesday night that Yakub Zakriev, until then Chechen Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, was "appointed Director General of Danone Russia".

A graduate of Moscow State University, Yakoub Zakriev was mayor of Grozny, the capital of this Russian republic in the Caucasus, between 2018 and early 2020. Between February and November 2020, he was the head of Ramzan Kadyrov's administration, and then was appointed Minister of Agriculture. He is the nephew of Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin and his military offensive in Ukraine, where many Chechen fighters are engaged. His appointment as CEO of the Russian subsidiary of Danone, a global agri-food giant, comes three days after the publication of a decree signed by Vladimir Putin formalizing the seizure by the Russian state of the assets of the French group, as well as those of the Danish brewery Carlsberg.

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Meetings "every day" with the Russian team

Asked by AFP, Danone did not wish to comment on this appointment. According to a source close to the matter, the French agri-food giant was looking for a buyer corresponding to its "ethical criteria" to preserve its model, and was about to announce a sale at the time when the Russian state announced the seizure of its assets. According to the same source, meetings take place "every day" with Danone's Russian team to ensure their safety.

According to the business daily Kommersant, the Carlsberg-owned Baltika company has also appointed a new director: Taymuraz Bolloev, founder and historical figure of this Russian brewery that he had first managed until 2004. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Carlsberg's Danish management denounced "a change at the head of Baltika (...) carried out without the knowledge or approval of the group". Since the offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and the first economic sanctions decreed by the West, many multinationals have left Russia and others have suspended their activities there, in the oil, automotive or luxury sectors.