Founder

MARK KAUFMAN

Founder of Mark Kaufman Charity Foundation

Born May 12, 1963 in Moscow, Russia

 

SUMMARY OF BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENTS

In the period of 1989 - 1992 Mark Kaufman held the executive positions in various export trade enterprises.

In 1992 he founded the Whitehall Group of Companies – the leading importer and distributor of fine wines and luxury spirits in Russia.

By the time of closing the selling transaction of the Group in 2011, it included the Import Company, 4 distributing companies both in Moscow and in the key Russian regions along with 17 regional representative offices countrywide. “Whitehall” employed over 1500 people with a total annual turnover of about € 300 million.

For 19 years since 1992 Mark Kaufman has been the founder and the principal shareholder of the Whitehall Group, concurrently occupying positions of the Chairman of the Management Board and the Chief Executive Officer - up to March 2011 when he resigned, having successfully closed the multistage sales deal with the U.S. Public company CEDC, listed on NASDAQ.

Mark Kaufman has succeeded in establishing the solid partnership between the Whitehall Group and the Moët – Hennessy International – the alcohol branch of the renowned LVMH Corporation. Since 1995 the Whitehall Group has been exclusively entitled to import and distribute the Moët – Hennessy brands in Russia and in 2006 Mark Kaufman signed the milestone joint – venture parity agreement between “Whitehall” and the Moët – Hennessy International. From 2006 to 2010 Mark was the Chief Executive Officer of the JV, and from 2010 – March 2011 – held the position of the Board Chairman.

Over 20 years Mark Kaufman has been the undisputed leader in cultivating a whole new level of alcohol consumption in Russia: in other words – the trend-setter.  He was the pioneer of the up – market, elite, high-end brands promotion. Besides of bringing up the new generation of the sophisticated consumers, Mark has created from the scratch the market of New World wines, Chilean ones in particular. He has managed as well to amass a comprehensive Kauffman Collection, which comprised the best samples of winemaking in a spectacular range from Burgundy to Australia and New Zealand.

Mark Kaufman is the “father” of the first super – premium Russian vodka, introduced to the market under the “Kauffman” name. Being committed to pushing back the boundaries of excellence, he has created vodka of such complexity and finesse that it can compete with the most prestigious brands of cognac and champagne.

Mark was the first to set up and to develop the concept “Business through Education”. He is the author of four books about wine (Chile, Israel, New Zealand, and Australia) and of over 50 publications devoted to the wine industry.

AWARDS & DECORATIONS

For the immense contribution to the wine culture and alcohol consumption promotion Mark Kaufman was decorated with 5 state awards:

France

Ordre du National Mérite Agricole – I, II, III grades.

Chevalier (2002), Officier (2007), Commandeur (2011)

Chile

Orden de Bernardo O’Higgins (the highest Government decoration awarded to non-residents) – I, II grades.

Comendador (2003), Gran Oficial (2005)

Mark Kaufman is the Honorary Member of different professional Orders (Commanderies) of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and Scotch whisky.

EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS 

MoscowTelecommunicationUniversity, Diploma of a radio communication engineer - 1985

Master of Science in Economics – 2000

PhD in Economics – 2002

Doctor of Science in Economics – 2006

Since 2005 Mark Kaufman has been carrying out the business functions alongside with the scientific activities at the Institute of Economics of the RussianAcademy of Science. Thus, from 2007 to 2010 he was the Head of the Consumer Market Research Laboratory and from 2010 to 2013 - the Head of the Macroeconomics and EconometricResearchCenter. Concurrently since 2002 he has been conducting the educational practice at the RussianStateAgrarianUniversity, first as an Associate, later on as a Professor of the Marketing Department.

Mark Kaufman is the author of over 40 scientific publications in the Macro/Microeconomics field.

Since 2005 he has been the Member of the Supervisory Board of the MSUGraduateEconomicsSchool.

Since 2001 - the Academician of l’Academie International de la Viticulture et la Viniculture.

PUBLIC ACTIVITY

Since 1997 - 2005 he has been the Co – Chairman of the Chilean – Russian Chamber of Commerce.

Since 2002 – Founder and President of the “Mark Kaufman Charity Foundation”.

Since 2018 - Founder and President of Monaco Whisky & Spirits Club.