Biography of Victor Pinchuk

Victor Pinchuk is one of Ukraine’s most successful businessmen, whose role in civic, international affairs and charitable organizations has made him a leader in Ukraine’s growing interaction with Europe and the world.

Born in Kyiv in 1960, he graduated with honours from the Dnipropetrovs’k Metallurgical Institute in 1983 and earned a PhD degree in 1987 before starting his career as a research engineer in pipe production.

In 1990, he founded Interpipe Company on the basis of his patented innovations in pipe design, engineering and production, which were successfully adopted by leading metallurgical factories in the former USSR. In 2006, he founded EastOne Ltd., an international investment advisory company whose portfolio comprises more than 20 businesses and large-scale projects, including Interpipe and media assets in Ukraine and internationally.

Mr. Pinchuk served two terms as an elected Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, from 1998 to 2006. In 2003, he decided to retire from politics to focus on his business and philanthropic activities.

For more than 12 years Mr. Pinchuk has been developing and supporting a number of philanthropic projects in Ukraine. In 2006, he consolidated these activities under the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, which became the largest private Ukrainian philanthropic foundation. Its numerous projects include the creation of a network of modern neonatal centres throughout Ukraine, cooperation programs with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the ANTIAIDS Foundation of his wife Elena Pinchuk, the creation of the Kyiv School of Economics, a cooperation with the Aspen Institute, the opening of the PinchukArtCentre, the first largest contemporary art centre in Central and Eastern Europe, the creation and development of the only Ukrainian private chamber orchestra, a charitable concert with Paul McCartney, the production and promotion of a film with Steven Spielberg on the Holocaust in Ukraine, human rights projects with George Soros and support of local Jewish communities.

Mr. Pinchuk has long promoted closer ties between Ukraine and the EU. In 2004, he created the Yalta European Strategy - YES - an international independent organization that is promoting Ukraine joining the European Union. Its annual meeting every summer in Yalta has become the main high-level Ukraine-EU forum for debate and policy recommendations.

Mr. Pinchuk serves as a member of the Board of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the International Advisory Council of Brookings Institution and a member of the Corporate Advisory Board of the Global Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS.

In 2009 Victor Pinchuk was granted the title of the "Honorary Citizen of Kyiv City"

Victor Pinchuk was listed as one of the "2010 Time 100 - The World's Most Influential People" in Time Magazine, published on April 29, 2010. Mr. Victor Pinchuk was listed in the "Thinkers" section, among the most influential thinkers in the world -- along with Apple founder Steve Jobs, Minister Mentor of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, newly appointed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and designer Zaha Hadid.

In September 2010 he was ranked #1 on the ranking of promoters of Ukraine abroad by the Institute of World Policy.

Victor Pinchuk is #36 in the Power 100 ranking of ArtReview in 2011.

On October 18, 2010 in New-York Victor and Elena Pinchuk were honored for their contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 9th «An Enduring Vision» ceremony. They are the first award winners from Eastern Europe in the history of «An Enduring Vision».

Victor Pinchuk is the first Ukrainian to have won the Trebbia European Award for support of the arts and culture. He received the award at the annual Trebbia ceremony held on March 11 in Prague (Czech Republic). It was presented to him by Bob Geldof, Irish musician, public leader, organizer of Live Aid charity concerts and Live 8 Festival, and laureate of the 2010 Trebbia European Awards.