Monday is usually a day off in many theaters. But on December 16th evening at Moscow's Et Cetera Theater, it was bright, noisy, festive, and ceremonious. The annual WEALTH Navigator Awards ceremony took place here once again, honoring the main prize in the industry of private banking and wealth management.

"In the hall were gathered wonderful people: beautiful, wealthy, ambitious, and energetic. Such success stems from great diligence because their work’s complexity is hard to imagine. As a result, Russia's financial sector ranks among the most effective globally. Our private banking, wealth management, investment boutiques are some of the best worldwide," Arman Dzhilyan, Chairman of the Jury for the Award and founder of MEDIACRAT—a company that has been providing creative and commercial support for this project for already 16 years—immediately set high standards both for the audience and the event itself.

The WEALTH Navigator Awards 2024 did not get lost amidst the chaotic whirlwind and multitude of social events typical during pre-holiday weeks when the capital bustles with activity, testing participants' readiness for peak holiday loads. This socially-professional ceremony brought together hundreds of recognizable guests, veterans, newcomers, and top-tier figures from Russian as well as international players in the field of private capital services (including UNIBANK Armenia which celebrated its victory in one category).

Ladies and Gentlemen

One of the first to make his way through snowstorms and traffic jams to the brightly lit building of Et Cetera Theatre was Andrey Yatskov, head of brokerage service department at VTB Bank. It turned out later that he had good reason to hurry. Mr. Yatskov led his team twice onto the stage to receive awards — in categories “Best Investment Counseling Service” and “Best Investment Company.”

Long before the start of the ceremony, the theater lobby where guests waited became genuinely lively. A buzz of voices, greetings, jokes, and bursts of laughter drowned out the DJ set at times. It was evident that everyone present enjoyed each other's company so much that many, engrossed in conversation despite organizers’ reminders, risked being late taking their seats in the auditorium by the time the award-giving began.

The atmosphere was set not only acoustically but also visually. At Et Cetera last night, everything was brilliantly lit and stylish. Organizers of WEALTH Navigator Awards emphasized that the black tie dress code mentioned in invitations wasn’t just a figure of speech—it was a genuine recommendation. Suits like those seen on magazine covers, tuxedos, bow ties, evening gowns, diamonds, expensive jewelry—these were essential attributes over all 16 years since Russia’s premier private banking and wealth management elite gathering began. And this made perfect sense for an elegant ceremony celebrating worthy and professional women and men alike.

This year, two individuals stood out above others: Oksana Semenenko (VTB Private Banking & Privilege, Lady of the Industry), and Sergey Maltsev (T-Bank Private, Gentleman of the Industry). Incidentally, Mr. Maltsev was the sole male winner among personal nominees. “We have a room full of ladies and gentlemen tonight,” Maltsev said upon receiving his award, “and the highest honor belongs to you. Despite how tough the past year has been, thanks to your strong shoulders, we’ve managed to endure, keeping our market intact and even improving it. I’m confident things will continue exactly the same way going forward.”

However, the pedestal of honor unquestionably belonged to the fairer sex (as demonstrated by this example, far from weak). Thanks to Ms. Semenenko, Elena Portnyagina (Loco Bank Private Banking, Banker of the Year), and Irina Krivosheeva, long-time leader of Alfa Capital Management (“Legend of the Industry”), who ensured their domination. In fact, Alfa Capital under Ms. Krivosheeva received another prestigious WEALTH Navigator Award 2024—as the Best Asset Management Company Over the Decade in Private Banking and Wealth Management.

“Thank you to the organizers for this evening and this award,” Semenenko addressed the audience. “This nomination and award belong to every lady working in banking, because they do enormous work combining seemingly incompatible qualities. Ladies, respectfully, this award is yours.”

At WEALTH Navigator Awards 2024, RSHB representatives were exclusively female. Two prizes went to the bank: “Best Private Banking for Large Private Investors in Real Sector 2024” and “For Contribution to Enhancing Recognition of Russian Agro-Sector.” Natalia Kapinos, head of RSHB Private Banking, expressed her thoughts on this occasion: “Recently, I've found myself thinking more often about what a happy person I am. I have my beloved family, invaluable friends, and a team supporting me. Most importantly, I have a job I love. Being part of the RSXB team isn’t merely or primarily work for me—it’s part of my life, something I truly enjoy.”

Inna Koryagina, Head of Marketing and Communications at RSHB, highlighted the transformation within Russian agriculture in her speech: “Today, it's a highly technologized sector with extensive robotics and fully automated production. To reflect this change, we've collaborated with WEALTH Navigator Magazine on a project showcasing domestic vineyards using imagery rather than numbers, discussing gastronomic trends via chefs utilizing local produce, describing exclusive leisure spots across Russia, and interviewing prominent entrepreneurs in agribusiness."

A Journey Spanning 16 Years

What remained unchanged were not only the overall dramatic structure and dignified ambience of WEALTH Navigator Awards, but also the hosts themselves. For yet another edition, Dmitry Pozov and Arseniy Popov, known from the TV improv show "Improvisators" on STS channel, masterminded the ceremony. One guest, a renowned Moscow-based investment banker, quipped backstage: "It's reassuring to see stability somewhere in this world. If these guys could manage key rates and ruble exchange rate too..." Despite conducting numerous editions, the consistent duo continued to accumulate creative capital. Their witty remarks—always fitting given the challenge of reworking recurring award categories—proved equally entertaining, though several winners who took the stage matched them effortlessly.

Their enthusiasm was supported vocally by singers from cover band Luxury Band, finalists of TV talent show "The Voice" and residents of TNT Music. This year's ceremony saw a new element introduced into the program script for the first time. Another innovation came in the form of a previously nonexistent category: "Best Brokerage Firm," won by the team from SberInvestments broker.

It must be noted that the humor delivered by the co-presenters landed perfectly due to the general pre-Christmas mood and joyful interactions among colleagues. Many attendees reacted positively not only to the emcees' quips but also to comments from award recipients themselves.

Sergei Potapeyko, head of Gazprombank Private, gave one of the longest speeches. He expressed gratitude towards the organizers: "I've calculated: seems like I've attended all 16 ceremonies without missing any. It's such a long journey, incredibly interesting, especially in recent years. For me, this award isn't just competition—it's more like a meeting ground for friends engaged in the same business. Today, I'm seeing many new nominees and companies in the hall. That's positive; it means life goes on. All the best!"

Irina Krivosheeva, CEO of Alfa Capital Asset Management, accepting the closing-night award in the "Legend of the Industry" category, echoed the opening remark by jury chairman Arman Jilavian regarding dedication as the key to success. She added: "First and foremost, I'd like to thank the jury for making this decision. Personally, I value it greatly. However, I feel this recognition not just as an honor but also as responsibility. Each of us here bears immense responsibility toward our clients for managing their prosperity. Naturally, we're responsible to our colleagues and teams. Of course, there's collective responsibility for advancing the entire Russian industry—our stock and financial markets. Through diligent daily efforts, we achieve outstanding results, and I believe and witness this happening."

The complete list of WEALTH Navigator Awards 2024 winners, jury members, and partners can be viewed here.

Jury members included Andrey Medvedev, Founder and CEO of PSM, Evgeny Arabkin, Publisher of WEALTH Navigator, Dmitry Mungalov, Editor-in-Chief of WEALTH Navigator, Yana Shenkland, Director of Equity Market Development at Moscow Exchange, and Yuri Krasovskiy, President of betting company Liga Stavok.

Independent consulting partner of the award was TeDo (formerly PwC Russia). The premium SUV brand EXEED served as the official partner of the event.