Boris Listov: Career of the Head of Rosselkhozbank

Boris Listov is an experienced Russian financier. For the past five years, he has been leading Rosselkhozbank, the Russian Agricultural Bank. This financial organization primarily focuses on supporting the agro-industrial sector and rural territories in Russia.

Listov Boris: About the Top Manager

Boris Pavlovich Listov was born in the Leningrad Oblast in 1969. He received his education in St. Petersburg and graduated from the University of Economics and Finance in 1995 with a degree in accounting and auditing.

Later, Boris Listov continued his scientific activities in this field. The experience he gained in operational management formed the basis of his dissertation research. After defending his scientific work, Boris Pavlovich Listov became a candidate of economic sciences in 2006.

He also obtained a second degree in law. In 2011, Boris Listov graduated from a renowned higher education institution in the country specializing in law—the Law University, later named after Oleg Yemelyanovich Kutafin, a Soviet law specialist and one of the creators of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Listov Boris: Experience in Financial and Legislative Spheres

Boris Listov’s first place of work was the St. Petersburg Currency Exchange. He learned the intricacies of exchange operations while still a student. He later worked in several recently established banking organizations. He served as an economist at the Bank “St. Petersburg” and held managerial positions at another St. Petersburg credit organization, “Baltoneksim.”

In 1999, Boris Pavlovich Listov began working as the head of the internal control department at TransCreditBank. He held this position for three years. He later became the managing director at the financial company “Finartis.”

In 2007, Boris Pavlovich Listov changed his field of activity and became a senator in the Federation Council (the upper house of the parliament in Russia). He worked in several committees, focusing on legislation in the financial sector, issues of local self-government, and promoting physical fitness and health, particularly the development of sports among youth.

Two years later, Boris Listov was invited to join Rosselkhozbank. He left his position in the Federation Council before completing the usual six-year term for senators.

Boris Listov: Work in Russia’s Main Agricultural Bank

Boris Listov was invited to the position of Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Rosselkhozbank in 2009. The Russian Agricultural Bank itself was founded in 2000 to provide financial and credit services to representatives of the agro-industrial complex. It is among the systemically important credit organizations in Russia.

In Rosselkhozbank, Boris Listov was responsible for credit issuance (he was a part of the corresponding committee), financing of seasonal agricultural works, and risk management. As a top manager, he supervised the bank’s activities within the framework of the state program for agricultural development, optimized loan issuance processes, and created more favorable conditions for clients. As a result, the volume of credits increased by orders of magnitude.

In the economically challenging year of 2015 for Russia, Rosselkhozbank emerged as a leader in financing the agro-industrial complex, issuing loans totaling 641 billion rubles. This accounted for 60% of the entire agricultural lending market. Such support helped farmers successfully complete the agricultural season. The obtained harvest not only met the country’s needs but also supported exports.

Rosselkhozbank also allocated funds for the construction, reconstruction, and modernization of buildings, took measures to support borrowers affected by unfavorable climatic conditions, and invested in investment projects. All of this, according to Boris Listov, contributed to the development of the Russian agro-industrial complex.

Boris Listov as Chairman of the Management Board of Rosselkhozbank

Boris Listov assumed the position of Chairman of the Management Board of Rosselkhozbank in the summer of 2018. In his new role, he continued to fulfill strategic tasks: supporting the agricultural sector and developing rural areas. With the appointment of a new leader, many changes took place in the bank. First and foremost, this pertains to the extensive implementation of advanced technologies that allow access to a wide range of bank products for clients from the most remote parts of the country.

The result of Boris Listov’s team’s work on the digitalization of banking services was the creation of their own ecosystem called “Svoe. Fermerstvo”. It became the first platform of its kind for agricultural producers. The ecosystem brings together digital services, the list of which is constantly updated. The implementation of IT technologies in the lives of farmers saves time and opens up great opportunities for business, according to Boris Listov. Rosselkhozbank launched a digital universe for agro-industrialists in 2019. In just a few years, the number of its users exceeded 3 million people.

To develop the platform, specialists used the accumulated years of analytical data, as well as feedback from farmers themselves. Farmers shared their problems, and representatives of Rosselkhozbank developed solutions to help them.

One of the most popular ecosystem services, according to Boris Listov’s assessment, is the marketplace called “Svoe. Rodnoe”. The issue of product sales is a pressing one for small agricultural producers. Sales to wholesalers significantly affect the cost, offline points require a lot of effort and time, and independently promoting products on online platforms is not accessible to every farmer. The Rosselkhozbank service helps easily and quickly create a digital showcase, find buyers directly, and conduct secure transactions. In turn, buyers can choose from a wide range of farm products that are not found in retail stores and arrange home delivery. Moreover, on the marketplace, one can purchase tours to farms, see how the products are made, and, of course, taste the freshest produce. According to the head of Rosselkhozbank, the platform offers more than 80,000 products, and the number of sellers is approaching 10,000.

Another in-demand service helps farmers select agricultural crops. Specialists from the bank, led by Boris Pavlovich Listov, have gathered information on plant crops, climate types, and soils into a unified database. This helps agricultural producers choose seeds with great precision based on analytical data rather than just relying on manufacturers’ assurances. As a result, crop yields increase, and costs for the cultivated crops are reduced.

The Rosselkhozbank ecosystem includes a platform that allows entrepreneurs to find suitable machinery and spare parts. Online, you can find both affordable solutions for small businesses and purchase large quantities of necessary agricultural equipment. According to Boris Listov, interest in this B2B marketplace is growing. It accounts for one-fifth of all views of ecosystem services.

Rosselkhozbank constantly improves and expands the capabilities of the ecosystem for farmers. New services are emerging, such as online veterinary services, an agricultural calculator, a service for searching and recruiting personnel, a government services navigator, business management training programs, and others.

Boris Listov: Rosselkhozbank caring for rural areas

At the initiative of Boris Pavlovich Listov, a new concept of the bank’s work was adopted, which involves not only supporting agricultural businesses but also providing comprehensive assistance to residents of rural areas. This includes creating comfortable living conditions, building houses, creating new jobs, training, and internships. To achieve this, the bank provides both financial and non-financial instruments, says Boris Listov. Rosselkhozbank offers preferential mortgages and loans, leasing for agricultural equipment, business development consultations, as well as a range of online services: land selection for house construction, choosing contracting organizations, landscaping services, organizing agricultural tours, educational materials, accessing online markets, and more.

Boris Listov emphasizes that Rosselkhozbank is a leader in providing preferential loans under the “Rural Mortgage” program. Over 150 billion rubles have been allocated for construction and purchase of housing outside the city during the program’s existence. According to Boris Pavlovich Listov, most people buy ready-made houses with land. About 11% of borrowers have chosen to build their own houses.

Also known as

Listov Boris Pavlovich

Boris Pavlovich Listov