OREANDA-NEWS. October 10, 2011. The shareholders, the SCM Group and Smart Holding, have appointed a 41-year old Briton Simon Cherniavsky the CEO of HarvEast Holding.

As the CEO of the Company Simon will be responsible for operational and commercial activity of the Holding as well as participate in elaboration of the Holding's development strategy.

Dmitriy Skornyakov, the former acting CEO of HarvEast will stay on the position of Deputy CEO and will be responsible for financial and legal support of the Holding's activity as well as for its reputation capital.

"SCM regards its investment in agricultural market as long-term and strategic. We believe that the agricultural sector of Ukraine has the potential to ensure profitable growth and we are ready to invest in its development. We will also engage the best specialists of the industry into the team of the Holding," stated the SCM Director of Agricultural Business Development Sergey Zuzak. "Simon Cherniavsky is a highly qualified specialist who has the experience in the agricultural business in the CIS and knowledge of global best practice. As the CEO of HarvEast Simon's primary objectives will be to complete asset restructuring and rollout the operational structure best for the Holding. Strategic objective set for Simon is to make the Holding a leader in the Ukrainian agrarian industry."

Simon has 18 years of experience in the CIS countries. Before joining HarvEast Simon worked as the First Deputy Director of RoAgro (Ukraine).

Earlier Simon Cherniavsky worked at different senior positions in the area of consumer goods and from 2006 to 2009 he was the Deputy Production Director of the agricultural company Black Earth Farming (Russia) with a land bank of 300,000 ha.

Simon graduated from Vassar college (USA) with a bachelor's degree in international relations and the Russian language. In 1996 he received an MBA degree from INSEAD.

"HarvEast Holding is a young company established in March 2011 but it has already demonstrated its efficiency and huge potential for further development. I hope my experience and knowledge as well as professionalism of the Holding's team will help us soon become one of the key players in the Ukrainian agrarian market," stated the CEO of HarvEast Holding Simon Cherniavsky.