Rosneft gets top lawyer from TNK-BP

I. Maidanik could leave for Rosneft.

Kommersant has learnt that Rosneft will finally attract a number of the key top-managers of TNK-BP, the majority of which leave the company due to its sale. I. Maidanik, who  controls the legal dept, is called to check the integration of the oil companies and the meeting of the interests of the employees of TNK-BP. Rosneft might also invite the Vice-President of TNK-BP for supply, O. Malyshkina.

Yesterday the President of Rosneft, I. Sechin, visited the central office of TNK-BP and participated in the meeting with its top-manager and employees. The integration process of TNK-BP and Rosneft was discussed. The top-managers of TNK-BP mentioned the positive mood of the team and the moderate personnel policy realized in the framework of the integration. The process is held gradually in the framework of the agreed schedule, Rosneft said. The executive director and shareholder of TNK-BP, G. Khan who is leaving, participated in the meeting.

The deal on the purchase of TNK-BP is to be closed by April 1st but sources of Kommersant close to it say it might happen by the end of the week. The employees of Rosneft are already working at the office of TNK-BP. Rosneft spoke of its intention to keep some of  the personnel of TNK-BP but the financial director, J. Muir, executive Vice-Presidents, M. Slobodin, A. Temkin, will leave. They will obtain a “golden parachute” equal to 2 annual salaries.

But sources of Kommersant say the executive Vice-President for legal issues of TNK-BP, I. Maidanik, might leave for Rosneft. He was offered the role of  control the legal dept of Rosneft. According to a source of Kommersant close to one of the shareholders of TNK-BP, there was an agreement that someone from the old team will stay to complete the integration (is to be over by the beginning of 2014). Rosneft doesn’t comment. Its representative only told Kommersant: “We hold negotiations with different employees of TNK-BP,we are interested in the attraction of experienced and qualified personnel”. Now the legal dept of Rosneft is controlled by the official secretary and Vice-President, L. Kalanda. In 2003-2006 she worked in TNK-BP and then decided to leave for Rosneft. In late December the relationship with  state bodies was added to her duties.

I. Maidanik is one of the most experienced top-managers of TNK-BP. He joined to TNK in 1998, 5 years before the foundation of the JV with BP. Before that Mr. Maidanik managed the legal depart of “Alfa-Eco” (now the Alfa-group). Moreover, sources of Kommersant say that Rosneft might invite the Vice-President of TNK-BP for supply systems, O. Malyshkina. She will control the tenders in Rosneft.

The managing partner of Winner Partners, G. Okun, says the appointment of the top-manager of the taken-over company for the position of a manager is often held in the framework of the sales agreements. In such cases, the expert says, he might be the guarantee of the meeting of the various conditions of the deal in the process of the integration. After the completion of the process often the top-managers leave the company, moreover, Mr. Maidanik can be considered a member of the team of the Russian shareholders of TNK-BP and he will hardly want to stay long at Rosneft.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2150215

Translated by Galiya Musabekova