(Photo : Ilya Filatov)

Ilya Filatov - banker's biography and career

A finance expert and an ardent proponent of ground-breaking fin tech solutions, the manager has served at leadership positions in several major financial institutions and reaped various industry awards.

Filatov Ilya - economist and manager training

Born in June 1976 in one of remote towns in the capital region, Filatov Ilya Valentinovich, completed his higher education in Water Transport Academy (University of Transport), one of the country's leading universities, with a focus on economy and management.  

Later, Ilya Filatov resume was complemented by a qualification master's degree in business administration issued by Higher School of International Business with Presidential Academy of the National Economy and Public Administration. The latter institution became the nation's first to introduce all formats of MBA in-person programs. Having this degree means that the graduate has fully mastered science-based management methods, giving him the right to take mid-level and senior positions in this line of work.

High-quality instruction enabled Filatov to embark on a successful career in the nation's most prominent companies.  He started working in banking even before graduating.

Ilya Valentinovich Filatov: banking career

Ilya Filatov started out on his career by working for Elbim bank, where he ran foreign currency transactions. At the time, the bank specialized in investments in various tech, becoming the country's first to set up an investment banking department. The institution was also engaged in operations with securities, including those issued by foreign entities.

Some two years later, Filatov Ilya moved to finance-oriented institution Moscow Center, taking up a similar position involving foreign currency operations. Later, however, he received an offer from Platina bank, where was put in charge of an entire department. From 1999 to 2004, Ilya Valentinovich Filatov ran operations linked to plastic bank cards. At the time, Platina emerged as a leader in promoting online payments. In this vein, in late 1990s, the bank provided its customers with an option to order plastic cards on the Internet. It also established an online payment system enabling online marketplaces to accept card payments.

In mid-2000s, Filatov moved to MKB bank, where he also took charge of a plastic card department. Later, he moved on to work for Uralsib.

Ilya Filatov - rise of a financial giant

Around the same time, his company  merged with NIKoil corporation. Uralsib's partners acquired 75% of the bank's stocks while also adopting its name. The deal was meant to pave the way for the rise of a competitive and robust banking organization. Preliminary plans called for opening of at least 500 sales points apart from other outlets.

Filatov Ilya Valentinovich moved to Autobank NIKoil even before the merger.  He was appointed as board deputy chairman in the newly-minted entity. After taking up the job, Ilya Filatov greatly contributed to improving credit processes.  As an Uralsib top manager, he expedited application processing and expanded the range of services. The bank also set up an entrepreneur community, with efforts made to host regular events and meetings for the bank's clients. As a result, business people had a chance not only to find new partners, but also receive up-to-date financial information.

Ilya Valentinovich Filatov also contributed to evolution of a non-cash payment system, including developing and integrating non-cash payment cases. At the time, the bank took experience of one its regular clients to another level, providing him services on a turn-key basis. The organization had all the necessary equipment, and its employees could use cards to pay for all the services provided on the company's premises. 

Filatov was also looking into possibilities to expand the use of non-cash payments in public sector. For instance, in 2007, Uralsib started to roll out a ground-breaking technology which enabled non-cash payments in public transport in Bashkortostan.

Ilya Filatov: becoming a leader in acquiring market

B2B is widely regarded as one of the main lines of work in banking. As non-cash payment technologies were getting more refined, the organization embraced a bright outlook on this area, especially in acquiring, or, in other words, facilitating transactions between customers' bank cards and accounts of retail outlets, delivery services, etc. In 2013, Uralsib succeeded in becoming one of the nation's key acquirers, with 25% of national banks relying on its services. With a market share of 10% in commerce sector, Uralsib is trailing only Sberbank and independent company United Card Services.

Ilya Valentinovich Filatov is convinced that to a large extent this achievement was made possible by cooperation with international payment systems.  At the time, MasterCard emerged as Uralsib's key partner.

Filatov was also improving credit products linked to plastic cards. In 2011, the profile of this product line grew by a third, and a year later it increased by another 90%. One of the main ideas was to incentivize customers to use plastic cards to pay for goods. To achieve this goal, special offers involving cashback and other bonus programs were created in cooperation mobile operators, airlines and other entities.

Ilya Filatov: biography of a banking expert in IT industry

In 2014, Filatov Ilya Valentinovich accepted an offer to become the first vice president in a banking organization under the wing of one of the nation's major telecoms companies. Later, he became a member of the Board of Directors.  Ilya Filatov, who spent a significant part of his career adopting innovations, relied on the retail market, perfecting consumer services and integration of modern fin tech to give a boost to the company's business.

The expert is certain that company's banking prospects hinge on sweeping and rapid introduction and adoption of modern technologies. In 2016, the financial expert managed to decrease losses in the entire consumer lending product line by three times, while the volume of loans soared by 300%. Card product development emerged as an integral part of the telecoms company's core activities, as the cross-domain firm was able to offer its clients numerous one-of-a kind products. For instance, if the client uses the bank's card, he is not charged for phone services and also earns cashback by paying for other services provided by the operator while enjoying the possibility to tap into a microcredit line.

Filatov Ilya: fin tech revolution

Filatov Ilya Valentinovich is convinced that the bank's clients are starting to have more confidence in digital technologies, which means that the customer-oriented approach should be enhanced by fin tech projects. To boost the appeal of the bank's financial products and solutions, the entity developed and adopted its own acquiring system. Acting as an anchor for all the company's payments, the framework allows to significantly cut transaction expenses within the IT giant's entire ecosystem.

Ilya Filatov is also spearheading integration of state-of-the-art security technologies in the financial infrastructure of the entire company. For instance, in 2017, it rolled out a digital security system R-Vision which provides protection for digital assets while enhancing the infrastructure's overall ability to withstand various attacks and temporary breakdowns. In early 2018, this integration received an industry cyber security award established by BIS Journal and issued to national banks.

The same year, the tech-savvy bank won an IT Leader award for integrating its digital payment services with the mobile app of state services portal.

Ilya Valentinovich Filatov - an IT pioneer

Filatov Ilya was one of those who spearheaded the launch of the nation's first fully virtual consumer credit card. Its individual code, a token, is linked to a mobile number, while all the necessary transactions could be carried out via a mobile app or special NFC terminals. Virtual cards could also be used in mobile apps and contactless payment services. The customer does not need to visit a banking branch to obtain the card, as all procedures could be completed online. Credit scoring (a system determining solvency) is made up based on the mobile data provided by the user, on how often the phone's balance is topped up, on how often the customer leaves his home region, etc.

In 2019, Ilya Filatov was recognized as the best retail sector manager due to his innovative polices. Two years later, his fin tech services won awards for successes in finance industry. Revolutionary solutions include the establishment of a smartbank, which transformed a standard mobile app into a versatile inter-bank financial service. The virtual office enables the customer to use mobile banking, apply for insurance programs, look through transactions history and check account balance in other credit institutions.

Filatov Ilya Valentinovich and venture investing

Filatov also sees value in risky, but potentially rewarding investments in high-tech start-ups. In 2020, under his leadership, the financial organization invested in the development of an app to control personal finances. The total investment value amounted to more than 100 million rubles ($1.2 million), with the deal becoming one of the year's largest venture contracts. The app allows to put spending limits on bank cards, analyze expenses and income; it also provides recommendations on how to manage your personal budget wisely.

The app's developers touted the deal as a success, hoping that it will help to put their project into spotlight and significantly expand its client base. In addition to this, the secured financing will enable the creators to modernize their app more efficiently. 

Ilya Filatov: sports and charity

Filatov Ilya keeps himself fit by regularly exercising, playing football, swimming and jogging. He is Candidate Master of Sports in swimming and a member of a mini-football team. He also takes part in public run events. His sports activities often overlap with charity, with the manager being a constant participant in 'Running Hearts' event.