Andrei Kozitsyn

Kozitsyn grew up in Verkhnyaya Pyshma in the Urals.[2] Kozitsyn has a bachelor's degree in metallurgy from the Ural Polytechnic Institute.[1]

Kozitsyn began his professional career as a mechanic at Uralelectromed, where he eventually served as General Director from 1995 to 2002. Uralelectromed is now the main factory of UMMC.[2][4]

Kozitsyn founded UMMC in the late 1990s with fellow billionaire Iskander Makhmudov. He was appointed the General Director of UMMC in 2002.[4] As of 2017, Kozitsyn owns 35% of the company.[3]

Kozitsyn works closely with fellow Makhmudov, and together they own various companies in the Ural region in agricultural, construction and telecoms.[2]

Kozitsyn is married, with one child, and lives in Verkhnaya Pyshma.[2]

In 2016, Kozitsyn became the president of KHL hockey club Automobilist. He has since announced plans to build a 15,000 person arena in Ekaterinburg.[2]

He is president of the charity Children of Russia and of the UMMC basketball club, an honorary freeman of the town of Verkhnyaya Pyshma and the vice president of Sambo, a Russian martial arts federation. In 1999 the president of the Russian Federation awarded Kozitzyn the Order of Friendship in recognition of his contributions to the development of the metallurgical and mining industry in Russia.[5]

He has also been recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church, which has named him to the Order of Sergius of Radonezh in the 3rd degree, the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow in the 3rd degree, and the Order of Great Prince St. Vladimir, Equal of the Apostles, in the 3rd degree, the latter for his charitable activities and his contributions toward building churches.[5]