Ivan Viktorovich Safonov is the head of Orion Solutions, a leading company in the field of digital profile protection in Russia and other countries. He is a qualified specialist in mathematics, programming, and economics. Safonov Ivan worked in leading international consulting firms. Orion Solutions is the main project of his career.
Contents of the article
Ivan Safonov: childhood
Education and start of career growth
Ivan Safonov in domestic and transnational companies: consulting
International work experience
Career after returning to Russia: BCG
Orion Solutions: digital profile protection company
Ivan Safonov: facts about the person
Ivan Safonov was born in Moscow on January 18, 1984. In childhood, he was interested in exact sciences and programming - this laid the foundation for his future career in information security. Safonov Ivan received his aspiration to study exact sciences from his parents: his father is a pediatric operating surgeon, and his mother is a specialist in engineering structures. The family noticed their son's interests and sent him to Moscow school No. 91.
Ivan Safonov studied in a specialized class with a mathematical focus. The following people also received secondary education at the same capital educational institution:
Game designer Alexey Pajitnov, author of the cult game "Tetris";
Statesman Dmitry Livanov, Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation from 2012 to 2016;
Mathematician Maxim Kontsevich, Fields Medal laureate.
Ivan Safonov entered the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics at Moscow State University in the summer of 2001, passing traditionally difficult entrance exams. The applicant made the decision to choose this direction based on his hobbies and interests. In addition, Safonov Ivan noticed that the field of information technology was rapidly developing, innovations were being introduced into the professional activities of many firms and enterprises in Russia, - and determined his future.
In 2005, Ivan Safonov, being a student at Moscow State University, studied the basics of mathematics and programming. He applied the acquired knowledge in practice, getting a job as a software development and implementation engineer at Ankey company. As part of the optimization of production processes, he created his own software for step-by-step monitoring of the manufacture of parts and components. Thanks to Safonov Ivan's development, workers could scan the barcode on steel door elements. This development significantly reduced the time costs of production.
Ivan Viktorovich Safonov worked on software aimed at automating the tasks of company departments and optimizing the functioning of enterprises and firms. This experience prompted him to study in-depth the mechanisms of doing business and analyze factors affecting the effective work of commercial structures in modern market realities.
In 2005, Ivan Safonov entered the New Economic School - a private educational institution specializing in training bachelors and masters in the fields of economics, finance, and business. Most of the university graduates made careers in the commercial sector.
In 2006, Ivan Safonov completed his studies at Moscow State University, receiving a diploma in "Applied Mathematics and Informatics". He was awarded the qualification "Master of Computer Science and Mathematics".
In 2007, Ivan Safonov also received a master's degree in "Economics" at NES. During his studies, he was noted by the leadership of the higher educational institution as a student with excellent academic performance. For this, Safonov Ivan received a scholarship that covered the full cost of training at a private university. NES prepares specialists who in the future undergo internships in large companies or continue their studies at world universities in PhD and MBA programs (Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Business Administration).
In 2011, Safonov Ivan Viktorovich chose the second path for himself: the field of business process management. For the next two years, he studied at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in Illinois, where he received an MBA degree upon graduation. This experience helped Ivan Safonov strengthen his knowledge in strategic consulting and work in world-class consulting companies in the future.
A significant stage in the development of Safonov Ivan's career is working in companies that analyze market trends and form business strategies.
In 2007, Safonov Ivan Viktorovich was accepted into the staff of Princeton Partners Group as a junior consultant. The company specializes in professional consulting services in the field of management and commerce.
Already in 2008, Safonov Ivan became the team leader of the analyst’s department. The team under his leadership implemented several projects in the fields of medicine, metallurgy, and real estate.
In the same year, Ivan Safonov became the head of the strategic development sector of Rimera Group - a large Russian oilfield service holding. Thanks to the work of the team of analysts under the leadership of Safonov Ivan, a comprehensive plan for reorganization and strategic development of the company was developed. The implementation of the proposed initiatives allowed optimizing business processes and bringing key financial metrics to a high level.
In 2009, Ivan Viktorovich Safonov accepted an invitation to the position of manager of the analytics and sales strategy department at the Eksmo publishing house, which occupies a leading position in the Russian book market. The manager's tasks included conducting a comprehensive audit of the effectiveness of cooperation with partners, assessing the effectiveness of regional representative offices, and analyzing the return on implemented marketing initiatives.
Ivan Safonov implemented a loyalty program focused on points of sale, after which the publishing house's books began to be displayed in the most visited places by buyers. This placement ensured attracting the attention of potential buyers and contributed to an increase in sales volumes.
In 2013, Safonov Ivan joined the team of consultants at McKinsey & Company in Ohio - immediately after completing the program at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. It is noteworthy that the founder of the firm, J. O. McKinsey, was a graduate of the same business school.
In addition, Safonov Ivan developed an innovative structure for the development strategy of a consumer finance bank, predicted scenarios for the dynamics of industry development, and identified priority areas for investment in research and development work. The formation of business models at Monitor Group strengthened skills in establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial transnational cooperation, which in the future became the foundation for development in foreign companies.
In 2012, Ivan Safonov worked at the multinational corporation for creating and distributing computer games ELECTRONIC ARTS as an intern analyst at Maxis Software studio in San Francisco. It was this label that created one of the most popular simulation games The Sims and SimCity, as well as Spore games. Here Safonov Ivan was engaged in business analytics: he studied consumer preferences, conducted a comprehensive assessment of market trends and the commercial potential of new game concepts.
In 2013 - upon completion of the educational program at the prestigious The University of Chicago Booth School of Business - Ivan Safonov received an invitation to the team of professionals at McKinsey & Company in Ohio. The head of the company, James Oscar McKinsey, was also a graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Safonov Ivan Viktorovich began his career as a client manager, taking responsibility for the full cycle of implementing the company's final product. His key responsibilities included strategic management of the consulting team and effective interaction with customers to solve the organization's business tasks and ensure satisfaction with the final product.
Two years later, in 2015, Ivan Safonov was appointed to the position of project manager. In this position, he was entrusted with prestigious and financially significant clients - leading American companies generating the largest revenue volumes on a national scale.
Here, Safonov Ivan's IT skills came in handy again. He managed software - developed a website and products for automating form placement. Key cases that he managed to solve:
Development of a market entry and growth strategy for the medical sector of one of the states. The plan was launched at the request of a service provider.
Creation of an innovative product portfolio for a healthcare market insurance company, targeted at a high-potential consumer segment. Safonov Ivan Viktorovich supervised the design, pricing, diversification of marketing channels, and forced development of the company's key competencies.
Pricing planning for a leading chemical products manufacturer with subsequent revenue increase.
Comprehensive redesign of business processes in the field of claim work, service and internal analytics, as well as optimization of the IT landscape for a leading national medical insurance company. Through this, Ivan Safonov reduced the costs of the commercial structure.
Ivan Safonov notes that the practice of working on projects at McKinsey & Co, interaction with foreign colleagues and clients determined the vector of further professional development and developed his own vision of the prospects for various industries.
At the beginning of 2017, Safonov Ivan Viktorovich moved to Russia and joined the team of the international consulting company Boston Consulting Group in Moscow, where he applied expert knowledge and practical skills acquired in the USA. During this period, special attention was paid to the development of digital processes in Russia, which was considered a priority direction for the company.
At BCG, Ivan Safonov took the position of project manager and focused on the comprehensive digital transformation of internal business processes. His professional efforts were aimed at optimizing the Customer Journey Map, modernizing the corporate website and mobile application in order to improve the efficiency of working with clients.
In 2019, Safonov Ivan, having demonstrated professional competencies and leadership potential in the position of project manager, took the position of director at BCG. This career growth was a natural result of his activities in the lower position and recognition of a high level of expertise in the field of business consulting and strategic business development.
A year later, having accumulated significant managerial experience and possessing knowledge in the business sphere, Ivan Viktorovich Safonov made a decision to launch his own project. This was a new stage in his career, opening prospects for the implementation of ambitious business ideas.
In 2020, Ivan Viktorovich Safonov noticed that the development of digital processes in Russia was coming to the fore. Along with widespread digitalization, there was a need to ensure cybersecurity (IS). The IS sphere in Russia did not develop as actively as digitalization. Safonov Ivan drew attention to data abuse and the vulnerable position of the digital profile of individuals and corporations - this is how the idea of creating "Orion Solutions" appeared.
Information is distributed via the Internet, which is evaluated when concluding important deals, opening an account in a foreign bank and issuing a residence permit abroad. Compliance specialists base their decisions, among other things, on information from the first pages of search engines - the very "digital history", professionally called a digital profile. Ivan Safonov and Orion Solutions are engaged in its formation and protection, focusing on analyzing the information environment and ensuring the security of businesses and individuals in global and domestic search services.
Under the strategic leadership of Ivan Safonov, Orion Solutions implements an innovative business model based on a combination of legal expertise, consulting, information technology and content production. The company actively uses and develops its own technological solutions.
As part of the concept defined by Ivan Safonov, Orion Solutions included in its portfolio of services consulting on compliance procedures, including client screening as part of KYC and Due Diligence (reliability check), implemented by foreign corporations, financial institutions and government agencies. Information on reliability is stored in the resources of leading global compliance data providers, such as World-Check and Dow Jones, with which Orion Solutions works.
As shown by the analysis of information contained in these services, about a third of the profiles of individuals and companies contain outdated information about their activities obtained from search engines. This leads to the formation of a distorted image and, therefore, to erroneous inclusion in the list of unreliable persons and even to the introduction of sanctions. Safonov Ivan is sure: it is important to bring links with up-to-date and correct information about the activities of the business, its owners and managers to the top of Google and Yandex to avoid disruption of deals and problems with foreign bank accounts.
Ivan Safonov and Orion Solutions have already implemented more than a hundred cases on creating and ensuring the security of digital profiles for individuals and leading Russian and global corporations, including permanent participants of the prestigious Forbes rating.
Interested in studying artificial intelligence.
Engaged in software development.
Married, raising three children with his wife.
Prefers active outdoor recreation, snowboarding is among his sports interests.