Rosneft avril conroy position. Conroy Avril Marie Ann (Avril Mari Ann Konroi). But you didn't come back

You are in a unique position. On the one hand, you are a foreigner, a representative of the Western world, with whom Russia is now in trouble. On the other hand, you are a top manager of a Russian company with state participation. How do you feel in this dual role?

Avril Conroy: I am Irish and in many ways remain a member of the Irish diaspora. And also the president of the Irish Business Club in Russia. That is, everything is correct, although I have been living in Russia for a long time, I am still Irish. And I have my own opinion about this amazing country. Negative pressure towards Russia in the West has always been noticeable. It is all the more important for everyone who works here to keep a positive attitude. I have always been and remain very positive about Russia. Russia is very important for Ireland - this is export, tourism, education, and much more. But Ireland is a tiny country. In general, I think so: Russia is different, but each country is different in its own way. Everywhere has its own cultural and behavioral characteristics. And, in my opinion, this is normal. Yes, the last two years have been difficult, but I am an optimist.

And yet this is your first experience in a company where the main shareholder is the state?

A.K.: First. Although, of course, from the experience of working in Ireland, I understood that in a state-owned company, work is built differently, not like in a private one. But working differently doesn't mean anything bad, just different.

And what, in fact, is different in the case of Rosneft?

A.K.: You know, maybe it's me and I'm simplifying everything for myself. But I don't think much about it. I have professional tasks ahead of me, and I have to do my job well. For example, now my task is to increase the economic efficiency of the business. And to be honest, I just strive to do my job well. This is what they pay me for.

How do you work with Igor Sechin?

A.K.: I consider him an extremely professional person. And although I do not communicate with Igor Ivanovich every day, I constantly feel his support in working moments. He works very hard. And this is how the entire top management works here.

What is special about working with him?

A.K.: From personal experience, I can say that he prefers to have facts, rely on verified information. It is not necessary to tell him stories, but to explain the situation as it is. I understand and share this style of work.

Do you speak Russian or English with him?

A.K.: In Russian. I speak Russian with all my Rosneft colleagues.

You speak Russian very well. How did you learn the language?

A.K.: When I came to Russia many years ago, I was terribly naive and had absolutely no idea that people here do not speak English. Russian is not an easy language, but Irish is also not easy, a Celtic group, with its own complex grammar.

I learned Russian in an unusual way. At that time, I worked in a store and once suggested to our security guard: “You will teach me one word in Russian a day, and I will teach you one word in English.” We did just that. There was a kind of competition between us - who will be able to learn more words. Two years later, I decided to get a new job and was invited for an interview. The representative of the company, he was originally from Cyprus, but spoke brilliant Russian, said that knowledge of Russian is a prerequisite for admission. I hired a tutor and spent three weeks intensively studying every morning. At the very first lesson, she told the teacher: “I will never learn to growl “R” in Russian” (now, 21 years later, I still cannot pronounce this sound correctly). But I love to sing and I love poetry. And she began to teach me Russian songs and poems. Then I was able to start using my vocabulary. Three weeks later, I went to the interview again, and this time my Russian was quite good.

Did I hear you correctly, you have been in Russia for 21 years? Why did you come here?

A.K.: I have worked in retail all my life. Immediately after graduation, I studied in this specialty, then went to work in a store. Ten years later, I thought that there must be something more to life than what I had then. One day my colleague went to an interview, he wanted to get a job abroad. Ireland is a small country. For me, "working abroad" meant about the same as "working in London." When he returned from this interview, he came up to me and said: “You are more professional than me, you have much more experience. They need you…” I decided, “Well. You can also try". I got a call from a small Irish company, which was one of the first to come to Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and began organizing a business. They were looking for someone with retail experience. But when I came to the interview, I did not understand at all that we were talking about working in Russia. Although during our conversation it was mentioned several times that we would have to work “abroad”. At some point, they asked me directly: “Do you understand that this is work in Moscow?” Without thinking twice, I replied that I was ready to move. It was about a work contract that was only a year long. Then I had to go back to Ireland and continue my work there.

But you didn't come back?

A.K.: To be honest, the first year in Russia was very difficult. Most likely because I did not know the language. But as soon as I was able to speak a little Russian, a lot of attractive things opened up to me. There is a phenomenal culture, literature and everything else. I love Russian architecture. I love Moscow. 21 years ago the city was completely different, but even now there are many beautiful, old buildings. In general, I was captured by the feeling that I was in a big city. After all, I come from a small village, where there are only 18,000 inhabitants, everyone knows each other. A lot has happened since my arrival. But I'm still here. Russia has been extremely kind to me. You could say I grew up here. Here I met my husband, my sons were born here, they are now 10 and 12 years old. More precisely, my sons were not born in Russia, but they have lived in Russia all their lives - from the age of two months.

Is your husband Russian?

A.K.: No, he is from Cyprus. But we met in Russia.

You briefly studied at the Gubkin Institute of Oil and Gas. What?

A.K.: Well, let's be honest: when I joined BP in 1998 as director of sales organization for the BP gas station network, I had only a vague idea of ​​​​how the corporate world works. Yes, I was involved in the largest family business in Ireland, but I never worked for a large corporation.

It was customary in my family to study. I was born in the mid 1960s. There were five children in our family. By the time I was 11, I had already lost both of my parents. I have lived with three sisters and a brother on my own ever since. Everything in their lives was organized by themselves and constantly had to learn something. Formally, our uncle was a guardian, but in practice, with the exception of my brother, we lived independently, separately. And it seems to me that each of us had an inner desire to become successful. I am currently in training for executives.

You have an ambitious project behind you - BP was the first international petrol station brand to appear in Moscow. In the 1990s, Western-style premium gas stations were a revolution. Did you understand it?

A.K.: This is truly a unique achievement for the Russian market. It is today that drivers are not surprised by the opportunity to drink a cup of coffee at a gas station, but in 1996, when we opened the first filling station under the BP brand, it was, I am not afraid of the word, a revolution. If we talk about my work without complicating it, ultimately it is all about standards. Yes, sometimes we get too obsessed with standards. For example, I am a real maniac when it comes to toilets at gas stations. When it comes to the question of what is the biggest problem in gas station infrastructure, there is only one answer: toilets.

You have a very unusual position for a foreigner in Rosneft. You travel around Russia all the time.

A.K.: Oh yes, Russia is a huge country, it is far from being only Moscow. That is why I started learning Russian. I need to be in constant contact with people. God gave me emotional intelligence, I can feel people. Regardless of the region, the basic needs of customers are the same. People must be treated with respect, providing the right quality services at the right prices.

Did you aspire to oil and gas or is it more of an accident?

A.K.: No, I didn't go there. BP hired me specifically as a retailer, and not for my knowledge in the field of oil and gas. I've been in retail since I was 16. She went all the way - from a cashier, an assistant manager, a manager, was engaged in purchases for stores, worked in various directions. I remember during an interview at BP I honestly admitted: “I can help you understand what the Russian consumer is waiting for, but I don’t understand anything about the oil industry.” Although, of course, since then I have learned a lot.

The attitude towards the deal between TNK-BP and Rosneft was ambiguous. A significant part of TNK-BP's managers left the company. You stayed. Why?

A.K.: The regrets associated with this deal are easy to understand if you're part of the team that built the company. This is fine. In their place, I would certainly feel that "this is my company." But as for me, let's be honest. I left TNK-BP in 2010 to work at Walmart Russia. Ask me why I went to work at Walmart? Because I'm a retailer and because of the size of the company. Although TNK-BP was a big company, when it merged with Rosneft, it turned into a huge company, and this attracted me. Yes, of course, at the time of the transaction, people felt that changes were coming. But I believe that changes are for the better. I could have left too. I could go to my husband's homeland, to Cyprus, to lie quietly on the beach. Why didn't I do it? I have never left the feeling that we have not yet achieved really sufficient results, me and my team can do more. I have to admit, without the people who worked with me then (by the way, many are working now), without this team I would hardly have been successful.

Do you notice the differences between TNK-BP and Rosneft?

A.K.: I would say that Rosneft is a very formalized company. There is nothing wrong. It's just part of a different corporate culture. I often have to write official letters. But it's just a different way of working.

And when you communicate with officials in the regions, do you feel a special relationship with yourself as an employee of Rosneft?

A.K.: Understand correctly: I am a woman and a foreigner, and wherever I work, the attitude towards me will always be somewhat different, special. And it doesn’t matter who exactly you have to deal with at work. Sometimes, as an employee of a state-owned company, you behave a little differently. But in principle, business culture is the same all over the world. Ask me if I'm proud to work for Rosneft? And I will answer that I am definitely proud of it. And you know, during one of the first trips to the regions, I was struck by the sense of pride that people who work at Rosneft experience. For me it was completely unexpected.

Rosneft recently announced the spin-off of its retail business into a separate legal entity. And you've been promoted to vice president. Why was this transformation necessary?

A.K.: The first two years after the deal with TNK-BP, everyone was busy with the integration of assets and processes, including the retail business. Undoubtedly, retail is very different, say, from production. Although it does not generate as much profit. But this rule is the same for all countries of the world. Retailing must be separate from the rest of the business. All operating expenses should be on the surface. This is true for all types of business, but it is especially important in the case of retail: profitability is low, and therefore it is necessary to be very strict about operational work. And, as an independent legal entity, we will be able to focus on being more efficient by providing better service to clients across Russia. Our task is to remain number one in Russia. The separation of the retail business into a separate business is primarily due to this. For me personally, this is an opportunity to quickly make those decisions that will ensure the effective operation of the company. The situation in retail is constantly changing, and we need to adequately respond to these changes.

And why was it decided to keep both brands: both Rosneft and BP?

A.K.: Rosneft is a more mass and democratic brand, while BP is more premium.

The Odintsovo City Court of the Moscow Region has sentenced the former vice-president of the All-Russian Bank for Regional Development (RRDB) Dmitry Shapovalov and ex-employee of a credit institution Vadim Borunov. They were found guilty of particularly large-scale fraud - taking over the apartment of their colleague under the pretext of returning previously taken loans. The housing was re-registered for Borunov, the driver and bodyguard of the then head of the bank Dmitry Titov. The last one, by the way, also earlier was convicted- for the issuance of obviously bad loans for 400 million rubles. According to the archive of the agency " Ruspres", RRDB is a pocket bank of the Rosneft concern, he took part in its creation Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had previously left the post of head of the IMF after being accused of raping a maid.

Judge Aleksey Kushnirenko considered the criminal case on particularly large-scale fraud against ex-employees of the RRDB for almost a year. As a result, 45-year-old Dmitry Shapovalov and 58-year-old Vadim Borunov, who did not admit their guilt, were each sentenced to two years in a penal colony. They were taken into custody in the courtroom - before the verdict they were under house arrest. The presiding judge forwarded the civil suit of the victims for almost 15 million rubles to the civil court.

As the court established, ex-employees of the RRDB committed fraud back in 2006. At that time, Dmitry Shapovalov was on the board of the bank and was its vice president, and Vadim Borunov, a former intelligence officer, worked as a bodyguard driver for the management of a credit institution, including its president Dmitry Titov. At the same time, Nikolai Smirnov held the position of director of the bank's international business department. In October 2006, Mr. Smirnov disappeared for three weeks. He himself then stated that the reason was the conflict with Dmitry Shapovalov: he allegedly ordered the director of the department to conclude an obviously illegal deal related to the withdrawal of funds abroad. Mr. Smirnov, according to him, hesitated, and then Mr. Shapovalov called him again and, in an ultimatum form, demanded to urgently repay the loans he had previously taken from the bank for a total of $ 300 thousand, drive his car to the RRDB office, hand over the keys to it, having issued a power of attorney to another person, as well as to leave a general civil and foreign passport. After that, Mr. Smirnov claimed, he, “fearing for his life”, went out of town to “think about the situation” and turned off all the phones.

The bank also stated that Nikolai Smirnov simply "went into a binge", and since he held a high position, Dmitry Shapovalov and the bank's security service took up the search for him. Be that as it may, according to the case file, a few days after the disappearance of Mr. Smirnov, they came to his house, reminded the mother and sister of the financier about outstanding loans and began to demand a return of money. At the same time, the visitors offered to compensate part of the debt by transferring rights to a large apartment in a house under construction, in complex "Grunwald" in the village of Zarechye located just outside the Moscow Ring Road. Real estate, the value of which under the contract was more than 15 million rubles, was registered in the name of Mr. Smirnov's mother. At the time of the visit of RRDB employees, the family paid the developers half the cost of the apartment.

As Mr. Smirnov's mother later explained, she knew about her son's loans and therefore agreed to sign documents on the assignment of rights to the apartment in favor of Vadim Borunov, the bodyguard driver of the bank's president. However, as it became known later, the assignment of housing did not affect the reimbursement of loans. Then the Smirnovs wrote a statement about fraud. The case was initiated, but it was repeatedly suspended, terminated and transferred from one department to another.

Dmitry Shapovalov himself claimed that he really talked with Smirnov's mother, but was only interested in the whereabouts of her son, with whom he had a conflict "due to fraud" by a subordinate with loans and "forgery of the RRDB seal." And Vadim Borunov said that in front of witnesses he gave Mrs. Smirnova a bag with more than 15 million rubles in five thousandth bills, which he borrowed from businessmen he knew. However, witnesses did not confirm the transfer of money.

The lawyer of one of the convicts, Dmitry Gavrilin, told Kommersant that he and his colleagues consider the verdict unfair and unreasonable, and promised to appeal it to the regional court. Meanwhile, the victims are only partially satisfied. Nikolai Smirnov's sister, Maria Smirnova, explained that she went to the hearings in the hope that the defendants would apologize and express a desire to somehow compensate for the moral and material damage caused. “I would not want anyone to be behind bars, and two years is enough for technical perpetrators of the crime,” she said, adding that only one of the four episodes of the criminal case reached the court. Ms. Smirnova expressed her hope that the investigation would continue and that the defendant "would be the one who gave them instructions."

It should be noted that the immediate boss of Vadim Borunov, ex-president of the RRDB Dmitry Titov, was also previously convicted. Initially, he was accused of fraudulently embezzling more than 400 million rubles issued by the RRDB as obviously bad loans. In the summer of 2015, the former head of the bank (he resigned in 2010) was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center (he was later placed under house arrest). Then the charge was reclassified as abuse of power, Mr. Titov fully admitted his guilt and, with the help of his acquaintances, paid off almost all the damage caused. As a result, in a special order, he received three years and was soon released on parole.

At the moment, the main shareholders of RRDB are PJSC "Oil company "Rosneft"(9.17%) and the Group's subsidiaries - PJSC Orenburgneft (24.32%), JSC Samotlorneftegaz (24.32%), LLC RN-Uvatneftegaz (22.29%), JSC RN- Nyaganneftegaz" (18.24%). The ultimate beneficiaries of the bank are also two individuals - Sergey Sudarikov (1.50%) and Andrey Zhuikov (0.16%), both of whom are also related to Rosneft and its head Igor Sechin, as well as to group of companies "Region". As previously reported by the agency Ruspres”, three years ago, the Nordstar Tower, which previously belonged to the developer, became the property of the company Maxim Blazhko. After Blazhko refused to renegotiate the terms of the lease of office space for the Rosneft subsidiary TNK-BP, Igor Sechin bought out Blazhko’s accumulated debts to Sberbank through front companies and began litigation, as a result of which a front offshore company became the owner of the tower RT&I, the beneficiaries of which were declared the owners of the "Region" Sergey Sudarikov and Andrey Zhuikov.

The Bank's Supervisory Board includes: Boris Kovalchuk, Avril Conroy, Yuri Kurilin, Rostislav Latysh, Dmitry Lebedev, Dina Malikova, Kirill Seleznev, Alexander Sokolov, Dmitry Torba, Ildar Fayzutdinov.

The board of the bank includes Dina Malikova (chairman, president of the bank), Vladimir Andrianov, Nina Zhuravleva, Dmitry Kashlakov, Sergei Naumov, Mikhail Rozin, Natalia Rostovtseva, Mikhail Rozin, Yulia Titova.

Avril Marie Ann Conroy- Director of the Regional Sales Department of Rosneft, Kirill Seleznev - General Director of " Gazprom Mezhregiongaz », Svyatoslav Slavinsky- Vice President for Economics and Finance of Rosneft, Dmitry Lebedev - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rossiya Bank, Alexey Rybnikov- Head of the St. Petersburg International Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange.

Dmitry Andrianov - Director of the Department of Strategic Analysis and Development of the State Corporation "Bank for the Development of Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)". Previously worked as an assistant for economic and foreign economic issues Dmitry Medvedev .

Alexander Sokolov heads the financial department of Rosneft. According to the agency Ruspres", he is listed as the director of the Cyprus offshore, on which Igor Sechin's plane is registered.

HYUNDAI ELANTRA: SEDAN CHANGED A GENERATION

Hyundai Photos

The sixth generation Hyundai Elantra was presented at the Moscow Hyundai Motorstudio. The car will be recognizable on the road by narrow headlights, a signature hexagonal grille with chrome horizontal slats. The sedan has become a little longer and wider, and the manufacturer also reports that the body rigidity of the Elantra has increased by a third.

The new generation Hyundai Elantra will be offered to Russians in four trim levels. The initial cost of a sedan is 899,900 rubles, and a car in the top version will cost 1,349,900 rubles.

Already in the basic configuration of the Elantra, a stabilization system and a hill start assist function are installed.

VOLVO S90: OPENING ORDERS

The Volvo S90 business sedan can already be ordered in Russia. Deliveries will begin closer to winter, the first models with T5, T6 and D6 engines with a capacity of 249, 320 and 235 hp will be brought to us. The minimum cost of the Volvo S90 T5 will be 2,641,000 rubles. And the top all-wheel drive version of the T6 is estimated at 3,586,000 rubles.


FAMILY TEAM

Rosneft launched a loyalty program for customers of Rosneft and TNK filling stations. The Family Team project will allow motorists to take advantage of bonuses and special offers. The Russian Regional Development Bank (RRDB) will act as the issuer of bank loyalty cards.

A set of three cards is issued free of charge when making any purchase at Rosneft and TNK gas stations. All cards are tied to a single bonus account.


From left to right: Avril Conroy, Vice President for Retail Business and Domestic Market Development, Rosneft Oil Company, Dina Malikova, President of RRDB Bank, and Vladimir Demin, General Director of RN-Loyalnost

For every 2 liters of fuel or 20 rubles spent in the store at the gas station for the purchase of any other goods, 1 point is awarded. Also, a point is given to RRDB bank card holders for every 200 rubles spent. Points can be used to receive discounts on fuel or goods from a store at a gas station. For 1 point give 1 ruble discount. You can “pay” with points up to 100% of the purchase.

AUDI A3: NOW MORE EXPENSIVE

Restyled models of the Audi A3 family turned out to be more expensive than previous versions. For a hatchback, you will now have to pay at least 1,629,000 rubles. True, this is the price of a 150-horsepower car, while earlier the basic version had a 110-horsepower engine. For an all-wheel drive five-door with a two-liter engine with a return of 190 hp. and a robotic transmission will take 1,914,000 rubles. Updated sedans will cost 10,000 rubles. more expensive than similar hatchbacks.


On updated models, it will be possible to install a “virtual” dashboard and a traffic jam assistant.

JAGUAR F-PACE NOW IN DEALERS

The first Jaguar crossover - F-Pace - has been officially sold in Russia since June 20. All versions of the car are equipped by default with an all-wheel drive system and an automatic transmission. At the same time, the choice of engines is quite large. The F-Pace can be ordered with 180 and 340 hp petrol engines, as well as a 300 hp diesel engine. and an impressive 700 Nm of torque. There are five complete sets, not counting the special version of the First Edition with uprated to 380 hp. V6 engine. Such a car will cost 5,199,000 rubles, while the previously announced cost of the model in the basic Pure version is 3,193,000 rubles.

Peugeot Photos

Peugeot 3008 declassified before the official premiere, which will take place in Paris in the fall. The crossover will be produced with 130 and 165 hp petrol engines. and four diesel engines.


Fedor Konyukhov traveled to Australia to set the world record for a non-stop round-the-world balloon flight. The vehicle for the ground support team will be a Toyota Hilux pickup truck.

A NEW WAY TO LEARN ABOUT TRAFFIC BY RADIO

Data on the traffic situation on the streets of the capital in the RDS-TMC format (Radio Digital System - Traffic Message Chanel) is now transmitted by the Center for Traffic Management (TsODD) of the Moscow Government via two radio stations. The service is also available to Moscow FM listeners who have tuned their car receivers to 92.0 FM.

How it works? Information about each serious traffic accident is transmitted in the form of a TMS message on the air of the radio station. In fact, this is a digital code that is decrypted by the car's multimedia system and turns into graphics: a corresponding icon appears on the navigator map at the scene of a traffic accident, and in case of traffic difficulties, the route section is painted red. So the support of the TMS functions allows you to receive information about the difficulties on the way and build an alternative route.

The source of traffic information is traffic control devices that are part of the hardware and software complex of the GKU "TsODD", as well as emergency services, police, and road services.

TMS technology, in contrast to the GSM channel, is not limited by the loading of operators' cellular networks. In other words, you receive information via the TMS channel promptly and without delay. And what is important, this service in Moscow is provided by the "Traffic Organization Center" (TsODD) of the Moscow Government free of charge.

Citroen Photos

Citroen and DS are now operating as separate brands in Russia as well. The first model to be sold as part of the new strategy was the DS 4 hatchback, which was recently restyled and received a different front end design. For a car in the initial configuration, they will ask for 1,685,000 rubles.


3M is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Russia. “Over 25 years, 3M has invested over $71 million in business development in Russia. Three research laboratories were opened, production was launched in Volokolamsk,” said Robert Nichols, CEO of 3M Russia.

ZEBRA PENALTY

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has prepared a package of amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which provide for tougher penalties for not providing the right advantage to pedestrians and cyclists. The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes to raise the fine from the current 1000 rubles. up to 1500–2500 rubles. According to officials, such a measure will reduce the number of accidents at pedestrian crossings. According to the traffic police, in 2015 alone, more than 19.7 thousand traffic accidents occurred on zebras, as a result of which more than 1.2 thousand died and more than 19.5 thousand people were injured.

IN PETER THE HARNESS

Insurers are complaining about car arson that has become more frequent in St. Petersburg. According to AlfaStrakhovanie, the number of fire-related losses has increased by 25% since the beginning of 2016 in the northern capital. Insurers cite deliberate arson as the main causes of these fires, as well as fire that spread to the cars of their customers from burning cars nearby.

That's not it again

On a single portal for public discussion of bills under preparation, a document has been posted that suggests making additional changes to the procedure for conducting a technical inspection of vehicles. Once again, the authorities propose to make the procedure for accreditation of technical inspection operators stricter. In addition, the bill provides for the participation of internal affairs bodies in accreditation inspections of the material and technical base of private traders issuing diagnostic cards. Apparently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is ready to support these proposals.

Most likely, the enthusiastic state after the first visit to the BP gas station has long been erased from memory by many. Today at gas stations you will not surprise anyone with a cup of aromatic coffee with fresh pastries. However, Avril Conroy, CEO of BP multifunctional filling stations in Russia, is not going to surprise anyone. Its task is to make the process of refueling a car even more comfortable, safe and as fast as possible.

In Russia, even those who have never owned a car have heard of British Petroleum. However, few people know what exactly the BP group is in a global sense.

I believe that in our case it makes sense to talk about TNK-BP, one of the leading oil companies in Russia, one of the ten largest private oil companies in the world in terms of oil production. It was formed in 2003 as a result of the merger of BP's oil and gas assets in Russia and the oil and gas assets of Alfa Access Renova (AAR). If we talk specifically about BP's multifunctional filling complexes, then now they can be found in more than a hundred countries around the world with a total number of over 25,000 filling stations. Today, more than 100,000 people work under the BP brand.

How did business develop in Russia and what does it represent today?

We started our activity in Moscow more than eleven years ago. Some people remember that the first filling station operating in our four traditional business areas (fuel, shop, car wash and cafe) appeared in September 1996 on the Yaroslavl Highway. At the moment, 48 filling complexes operate under the BP brand in the capital and the region, and two more will appear very soon. I am sure that we will expand further, there are plans to bring the number of BP complexes in the capital region to 75 by the end of 2010. If eleven years ago, when we faced a very large influx of customers, up to 3,000 people came to us a day, then now the moment of 3 million transactions per month is a passed stage.

BP, like football clubs, has corporate colors where green and white predominate. Do they represent anything or is it an arbitrary choice of designers?

We attach great importance to our colors. Green color in the design of gas stations, as you might guess, is the color of life, youth and health. Over the next five years, TNK-BP will allocate $2.2 billion to reclaim past contaminated land, ensure the integrity of production facilities, and reduce leaks and adverse environmental impacts. This money contributes to the reduction of negative factors arising from the impact on the environment of industry and humans. And white color means transparency - one of the main principles of building our business not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Only at BP stations can one come across the practice of first refueling and only then payment - for Russia it is very original and, one might say, risky. How justified is this approach?

Such a scheme is quite justified and suits us quite well. True, if we had not had tankers, nothing would probably have happened. And in this regard, we are extremely grateful to our tankers. However, one should not think that refuelers are needed at BP only to check checks. We go towards our clients. They like that there is a qualified person who will fill the car, because, as you know, no one likes to get their hands dirty. By the way, I want to emphasize that in Europe, except for Greece and Turkey, there are no refuellers anywhere. In our case, the costs and additional costs are, of course, higher, but we cannot focus only on them, we need to analyze the results.

In September last year, the new BP Ultimate fuel with an octane rating of 95 and 98 appeared at all BP filling stations. What kind of product is this and how much is it in demand on the market?

At the moment, VR Ultimate is like a little baby to us that needs to be taken care of. He has not yet turned a year old, but the product, which meets the requirements of Euro 4 in terms of its characteristics, has already firmly established itself on the market. Moreover, we are sure that this is the best gasoline in Russia today. Approximately 50% of those who used to fill up with 95 are pulling up to a BP Ultimate 95 dispenser today. In addition, we are seeing a significant increase in sales thanks to BP Ultimate 95 and 98 products. BP Ultimate is a premium quality fuel for drivers who care about their cars. Whether you're driving a low-cost car or a luxury car, BP Ultimate can help you get more out of your engine while significantly reducing emissions.

And how can you assess the quality level of your competitors today? How difficult is it to compete?

I am glad to see that in general the situation with fuel quality in Russia is getting better. Why should people spend money without being sure that their car will not stall in ten seconds? Therefore, in general, I welcome the active policy of the state and the efforts of the Mayor of Moscow aimed at improving the quality of fuel. In addition, we are interested in the early formation of a civilized and strong fuel market in Russia.

Many automakers are hesitant to start selling diesel cars in Russia because they are not satisfied with the quality of local diesel fuel. Is there anything you can do to comfort them?

We have discussed this topic many times. Historically, the Russian market has been dominated by passenger cars with gasoline engines, but recently there has been a trend towards an increase in the number of diesel cars. The main difficulty compared to the European market is the need to produce several types of diesel fuel (both summer and winter), dictated by the harsh conditions of the Russian climate. For our part, we are doing everything possible to develop this market segment by offering our high-quality diesel fuel and constantly working to improve it. Now we offer our clients summer diesel fuel. In winter - winter fuel, with different characteristics, which is somewhat more difficult to manufacture. It is quite difficult to ensure the production of both summer and winter diesel fuel that meets modern requirements, and we are proud that we are doing an excellent job with this task.

What resources does the work associated with the organization of trade in shops and cafes take? After all, this is not quite a core business for an oil company.

Of course, this is not easy. There are a number of difficulties here. In addition, it takes a lot of time to organize this activity. However, over the years of successful work, we have gained invaluable experience. Good relations with supplier companies have appeared, a business process has been established, which allows minimizing costs. Those who today plan to organize a similar business from scratch have a huge and multifaceted work to do, but, as in any business, with the proper approach and knowledge of all the specifics of the business, you can achieve a good result.

Will the range of services provided be expanded?

Now I cannot reveal all the plans, it would be wrong to get ahead of myself. But our customers, as always, can count on the fact that we will soon be able to offer them something new.

What is the company's strategy for development in the Russian regions? How far do your interests extend?

Russian experience shows that our business is most successful and efficient in cities with a population of more than a million people. Today we are present in Moscow, the Moscow region, and we plan to settle in St. Petersburg. It is too early to talk about more far-reaching plans.

Alas, visiting BP gas stations is becoming an increasingly lengthy procedure every day. Queues form, and many people don't like it.

Indeed, the speed of service is a very topical issue for us today. We see queues and are not going to put up with them. For customers, speed is the most important thing, and when I mentioned new services, I had in mind a change in the speed of service. I'm sure we'll be able to turn the tide soon.

TNK-BP is a Russian oil and gas company with a diversified portfolio of upstream, downstream and marketing assets in Russia. Does this mean that at BP filling stations we buy fuel that is entirely a product of the company? And how is internal fuel quality control carried out?

The full cycle, including mining and processing, is very important. We are confident in the quality of the fuel that is in fuel trucks and which will eventually end up in the tanks of our customers' cars. It is extremely important for us to have an absolute understanding of the entire supply chain. The company has a special computer system that allows you to control the composition and quality of raw materials entering the refinery. When gasoline is delivered to our Moscow terminal by rail, samples are taken from the tanks. And only after the analysis, the fuel is drained. The quality of fuel in tanks at oil depots is constantly monitored. Fuel trucks come to gas stations sealed, and the filling station manager checks the safety of the seals without fail. Only after this is the acceptance of fuel. However, even after the fuel has been drained at filling stations, we regularly check its quality. For this, both our own and independent accredited laboratories are used.

Our dossier

Avril Conroy came to Russia fourteen years ago from Ireland to start the shoe business. However, four years later she decided to return to her homeland. Surely I would have returned if not for the offer from BP. Avril changed her occupation and took up the creation and operation of gas stations. She largely owes her career growth to the team, the backbone of which has been preserved in the company for many years. The team respects and appreciates Avril primarily for her openness, democracy and courage in making decisions. Avril is married and has two children, four and two years old. He speaks fluent Russian and Greek. It is worth noting that Avril's young children also speak three languages, including English. Avril loves his homeland very much, but it seems that he is not going to return home in the near future.


JSC Tambovnefteprodukt held a reporting and election conference of the primary trade union organization (PPO). Evgeny Cherepanov, Chairman of the IGO Rosneft, took part in its work

Regional news

Meeting with Vice President of Rosneft A. Conroy

On November 17, a meeting was held at the office of the Rosneft Interregional Trade Union Organization between the chairmen of regional trade union organizations of Rosneft retail business enterprises and Avril Conroy, Vice President for Retail Business and Domestic Market Development.

The meeting was also attended by deputy general directors of sales enterprises, employees of the Regional Sales Department and the Personnel Department of Rosneft. The need for this meeting was due to possible changes related to the spin-off of Rosneft's retail business into a separate legal entity, RN-Regional Sales.

Our Company is the leader in Russian oil refining and pursues an effective marketing policy, owning a developed infrastructure for the sale of petroleum products on the domestic market - and this is more than 2.5 thousand filling stations across the country. In the third quarter of 2015 alone, Rosneft increased its sales of gasoline to the domestic market by more than 3% compared to the second quarter of 2015. And in this regard, the continuous development of the domestic retail sector is one of our most important strategic objectives, - said Ms. Conroy, anticipating the meeting. - It is extremely important at this stage of our work to have an optimally structured communication process, the process of information support of all changes, which allows us to communicate with our employees in a dialogue mode.

Trade union leaders of sales enterprises (Voronezhnefteprodukt, Kaluganefteprodukt, Rosneft-Kubannefteprodukt, Orelnefteprodukt, RN-Arkhangelsknefteprodukt, RN-Moscow, Ryazannefteprodukt, Tambovnefteprodukt, Samaranefteprodukt and Saratovnefteprodukt ”) and the heads of their personnel structures asked questions regarding the validity of the provisions of the Collective Agreement, common strategies in the development of corporate regulatory documents, the specifics of the work of filling complexes, the principles of wage formation, the work of corporate personnel training centers: these issues were the focus of the meeting.

Today's meeting showed how important the communicative component of our work is. All those who gathered at this meeting were able to ask their questions and get an answer, as they say, "first hand". And this is very important: after all, the more effectively we conduct a dialogue, the better the overall result will be,” summed up, concluding the meeting, the chairman of the IPO Rosneft Evgeny Cherepanov. - I would like to wish all retailers effective and successful development, on which the stable work of the Company's workforce and the well-being of its employees largely depend.

 

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