Former OBI Russia CEO Dovladbegyan named head of MTS smart home division

MOSCOW. July 24 (Interfax) - Leonid Dovladbegyan, the former CEO of OBI Russia, has been appointed head of MTS Smart Home LLC, the smart devices and home security division of Russian telecom provider MTS, the company reported.

Dovladbegyan replaced Alexei Davydov as head of the company on July 21, the SPARK-Interfax analytics system showed.

Prior to heading OBI Russia, Dovladbegyan was CEO of Vprok.ru Perekrestok, an online hypermarket that is part of X5 Group. He also headed online retailer 220 Volt.

Dovladbegyan's objectives in his new role will be to strengthen the MTS Group's position and ensure its leadership in the segment, and stimulate development, introduction, sales and support of services based on smart devices for the home, the company said in its press release.

MTS Smart Home was incorporated in March 2023 with charter capital of 1.4 billion rubles. The company is now 74.26% owned by PJSC MTS and 25.74% by Veniamin Pisman.

Pisman was the owner of Gulfstream Security Systems, in which MTS acquired a 58.38% stake in the spring of 2022. MTS increased its ownership interest in this company to 100% in June 2023, while Pisman became chairman of the board at MTS Smart Home. At the time of its acquisition of the stake in Gulfstream, MTS said it would develop its new smart home business on the basis of this company.