OREANDA-NEWS. March 10, 2010. The Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd Degree, was awarded to Leonid Zigmundovich Tufrin, Aide to the General Manager of N.W.Telecom, for his labor achievements and many years of conscientious work. Decree No. 1443 to this effect was signed by President of the Russian Federation D. A. Medvedev on December 16, 2009.

On March 3, 2010 Valentina Matvienko, Governor of St. Petersburg, handed the deserved governmental decoration to Mr. Tufrin.

“Our country’s President has highly appreciated your work. You deserve decorations, esteem and respect due to your diligence, talent, and skill. People like you are the backbone of our city and our country. And I do not doubt that the decoration received today will become a new incentive for your further work, and for new achievements in life,” the Governor said.

Mr. Tufrin has been working in the communications industry for over 31 years. He started his career in 1973, at the Nekrasovsky Telephone Center of Leningrad City Telephone Network (LCTN), where he grew from an engineer to the Center’s Director. From 2005 till 2009 he successfully managed the St. Petersburg Branch, the largest of North-West Telecom’s branches.

Under the direct leadership of Mr. Tufrin, a concept of technological updating of St. Petersburg’s telecommunication network was developed. As a result of the effort, the St. Petersburg Branch of N.W.Telecom prematurely completed the “Program of Telecommunication Services Provision to St. Petersburg Residents for the Years 2005-2007” by the end of 2006. Under the program, over 85,000 applications from citizens for access to the public communication network were satisfied, including telephone installations in remote and low-populated quarters of St. Petersburg.

In 2007, the Petersburg Branch of N.W.Telecom prematurely completed implementation of the “Education” national priority project, under which, 77 educational institutions of St. Petersburg were connected to the Internet.

With Mr. Tufrin’s contribution as Regional Manager of the Petersburg Branch, North-West Telecom launched the ADSL-based broadband Internet access services to St. Petersburg’s telecommunication market. Due to this, the Company has been among the leaders on the broadband access services market since 2006.

The professional approach of Mr. Tufrin to management enabled a multistage reorganization of the St. Petersburg Branch within a short period, for its switching over to an advanced organizational structure philosophy. Mr. Tufrin successfully implemented the principles of a client-oriented company in the Branch’s business. In accordance with these, a chain of universal centers is being set up in the Northern Capital to provide integrated customer service; the chain of payment stations is being continuously enhanced, and new up-to-date methods of payment for communication services are being implemented.

The merits of Mr. Tufrin have been appreciated with governmental and industrial awards; in 2002, the title of Master of Communications was conferred on him.

Mr. Tufrin enjoys deserved authority among his colleagues. He is known for his high level of professionalism and broad production and managerial experience, competency, respect to those around him, optimism, and determination.