President of ARETI International Group
Igor Makarov is President of ARETI International Group. In 1983, he graduated from Turkmen State University. Igor Makarov began his business career by exercising his entrepreneurial initiative. He ran a number of successful businesses beginning with the founding of a small consumer goods manufacturing company to international oil and gas company. In 1992, he became the founder and the head of ITERA International Group of Companies (ITERA IGC). In 1994, the Group began to supply natural gas sourced from Turkmenistan to former USSR countries and to Eastern Europe. From 1998 to 2007, ITERA developed and operated nine gas fields in Western and Eastern Siberia of Russia with annual production of about 80 billion cubic meters of natural gas. By the early 2000’s, ITERA International Group of Companies included a diverse array of subsidiaries operating in various sectors of the economy in twenty-four countries around the world. Natural gas deliveries to former USSR countries and to Eastern Europe amounted to 100 billion cubic meters per year. Additionally, over hundreds of kilometers of gas pipelines, oil pipelines, and compressor stations were built and operated under the ITERA umbrella of companies. ITERA’s incredible successes in the integrated energy space did not escape the attention of those knowledgeable about these industries. In 2003, Igor Makarov was nominated as the Manager of the Year in the 'Energy of Russia 2003' National Prize Award for success in business. In March 2006, the Scientific and Technical Council of the St. Petersburg Mining Institute elected Igor Makarov to its Board of Trustees and awarded him the “Golden Badge of Mining Engineer of Russia” for successful oil and gas business activity and support of Russian education. Additionally, ITERA IGC won ‘The Company of the Year’ National Prize Award (based on 2012 results), increasing the aggregate production at its own natural gas fields up to more than 500 billion cubic meters, while the quantity of distributed natural gas amounted to more than 600 billion cubic meters by 2013. For 20 years, ARETI International Group has had partnerships with top state and commercial global energy firms operating in Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and other countries. For his significant contributions to the development of the economies of different countries of the world, Igor Makarov has been decorated with the national awards of Russia, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Georgia and other states. His long-term activity as a patron and benefactor of various international charities and foundations and the sponsorship of social and environmental projects in the areas of business activity of “ARETI International Group” (until 2015 - "ITERA") were awarded with gold certificates and a gold medal "UNESCO", Order of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as with the tributes and honorary signs of Red Cross.