Aleksandr Kretov, shareholder at the Ariant Group of Companies, is a distinguished entrepreneur and experienced manager.
Born in Chelyabinsk near the Ural Mountains in 1972, the remarkable journey that has been Aleksandr Kretov’s life and career exemplifies a visionary leader, combining business acumen with a passion for social responsibility and sustainable practices.
His early years were spent in his hometown, where the seeds for personal advancement and business acumen were first sown. Aleksandr Kretov’s academic career began in 1989 when he enrolled at the Chelyabinsk Polytechnic Institute to study Electrical Engineering. He graduated with a degree in the discipline after five years.
His strong desire to study the relationship between a company’s resources and its production/output led him to take a specialist university course in Finance and Credit, emerging as a qualified economist in 1996. Aleksandr Kretov now had the knowledge to take his first step as an adept entrepreneur.
This move was enhanced by the fact that in 1995 he had taken on the role of project leader for the construction of the Center for the Food Industry – Ariant in Chelyabinsk, where he excelled in the job. In a strategic move in the early 2000s, Ariant acquired the agrofirm Yuzhnaya, which was already well established in the prestigious wine-producing Krasnodar Region, situated alongside the eastern shores of the Black Sea, known for its extensive vineyards and humid subtropical climate. It was under Aleksandr Kretov’s skillful guidance that the winemaking center, established under the name Kuban-Vino back in the mid-1950s and which had largely been abandoned and fallen into disrepair, was completely restored and modernised, thereby regaining its former prestigious position.
In 2016, Aleksandr Kretov took on the position of CEO at Agrofirma Ariant LLC, the company specialising in meat production. Once again, he was able to display his true talents in a managerial role, fast achieving success after success in refining and modernising Agrofirma Ariant LLC’s technical and technological processes, so assuring its future growth and success.
He transitioned into the role of a shareholder within the newly established Ariant Group of Companies in 2020. This was after being CEO of the Center for the Food Industry – Ariant LLC the year previous. By this consolidation of various Ariant companies it unified the whole of its food and beverages production centers in terms of full-cycle winemaking and meat products. Today, at 51, Aleksandr Kretov is no longer involved in the company’s operations.
An entrepreneur with foresight, he established and nurtured a management team that now oversees the business processes. This operational team employs a thoroughly modern approach to business organisation and performance assessment, consistently prioritising environmental sustainability throughout all production procedures. Kuban-Vino and other wineries within the Ariant Group have integrated green energy sources, prevalent among these alternatives being solar panels. This means energy independence and eco-friendly production.
Business involvements aside, Aleksandr Kretov is a dedicated philanthropist, both in the Chelyabinsk Region, where he was born and raised, as well as in the Krasnodar Region. Youth sport is particularly close to his heart, actively supporting initiatives for young talent and sports clubs. He also provided extensive and personal support to healthcare workers in Chelyabinsk during the COVID-19 outbreak and funded the creation of a monument dedicated to the brave medical staffs battling against the virus.
Aleksandr Kretov’s commitment to excellence extends to his personal life as well. He is a devoted family man, married with five children and three grandchildren. In his leisure, he embraces an active lifestyle, engaging in various sports and travelling.
