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Personnel reshuffles will be announced in Megafon in the near future, CNews found out. Alexander Volkov, head of the North-West subsidiary, will be appointed the company's first vice president. According to analysts, the given appointment might stimulate Megafon 3G network development and help achieve competitive revenue rates across Russia. Rumors regarding the new appointment of Alexander Volkov, North-West Megafon current director, went around before the New Year. However, then no details were announced. The information has appeared literally the other day.

Mr. Volkov's appointment as Megafon deputy director general is awaited, sources in the management of several mobile operators told CNews simultaneously. Megafon has anonymously confirmed the information. CNews source in the company says the official appointment will be made early in February. Meanwhile, Alexander Volkov's duties at the new post are not clear. Georgy Getmanets, Mr. Volkov's first deputy, is likely to occupy the post of the subsidiary head.

Alexander Volkov was appointed head of Megafon North-West subsidiary in June 2002 simultaneously with establishing the company. Mr. Volkov has been working in telecommunications for more than 10 years. From 1996 to 1998 he came the way from a system manager to chief visionary officer of the mobile operator Delta Telecom. From 1998 to 2000 he worked as mobile communications director at Telecominvest, while from 2000 to 2002 he was Telecominvest's Vice President.

Experts are unanimous regarding Mr. Volkov's management of Megafon North-West subsidiary. According to the analyst Denis Kuskov, North-West Megafon former director general managed to preserve the subsidiary's status as the personnel and funding generator for the whole federal network. �Despite intense competition in the North West Megafon remains inaccessible for its main competitors. At the same time the subsidiary has preserved high ARPU and expanded the corporate client base. Besides, all new technologies have been tested in the North-West subsidiary', - Mr. Kuskov highlights.

�According to our estimates, Megafon's share on the market of the North West Federal Region regarding the company's revenue have been fluctuating within 1% at 48% in recent years', - Yuri Bryukvin, Rustelecom director general, confirms. Mr. Volkov's transfer to the central office is within the company's development history, the analyst believes. �In his time Mr. Volkov was engaged in consolidating regional assets of the operator and should have been appointed to the federal structure management long ago. However, he was left in St. Petersburg to preserve the donor region revenue rate', - Mr. Bryukvin believes.

Mr. Volkov's transfer to the central office results from the necessity to work out the company's development strategy across Russia, the experts are sure. Megafon key subsidiary experience on the intensely competitive market should now be used to achieve new goals. According to both experts, the main challenges Mr. Volkov will have to deal with at the new post include establishing a centralized structure within a single entity and achieving competitive revenue rates across Russia. The reshuffles in the company's top-management might be also accounted for Megafon upcoming IPO, which might be held only if the dispute between the operator's shareholders is settled.

Alexander Volkov's new appointment might stimulate Megafon 3G-networks development, Vladislav Kochetkov, Finam analyst, believes. Mr. Volkov is a professional manager known for being able to organize the promotion of additional and non-voice services. He is one of the initiators of 3G development in Megafon, so his appointment as the first vice president might prove the operator intends to stake on 3G development'.

Mr. Volkov's possible successor as North-West Megafon head is Georgy Getmanets, who is captain 1-st rank retiree and diving specialist. He is experienced in Navy diving operations and tested the new regimes for decompression indicating instruments for divers in person. Mr. Getmanets has been working for telecommunications since 1996. He started in North-West GSM and by 1999 was appointed vice president of the company. After North-West GSM merger with Megafon he became the first deputy director of North-West Megafon. �As Georgy Getmanets has been working for the company for many years in close cooperation with Mr. Volkov, the latter is likely to ensure succession', - Denis Kuskov believes.

It should be noted, that Sergei Soldatenkov, Megafon current director general, also originates from St. Petersburg. In 1996-1999 he worked with Alexander Volkov in Delta Telecom. They worked in Telecominvest till 2000. Analysts believe Mr. Volkov is Mr. Soldatenkov's protege. Megafon's director general might be also preparing a worthy successor in case he receives an interesting proposal difficult to reject.

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Megafon is the first all-Russian mobile operator in GSM 900/1800 standard. The company was founded in May 2002 as a result of renaming and reorganization of Open Joint Stock Company В«North-West GSMВ» and integration under one brand with CJSC В«Sonic DuoВ» (Moscow), CJSC В«Mobicom-KavkazВ», CJSC В«Mobicom-CentreВ», CJSC В«Mobicom-NovosibirskВ», CJSC В«Mobicom-KhabarovskВ», CJSC В«Mobicom-KirovВ», OJSC В«MSS-PovolzhieВ», CJSC В«Volzhsky GSMВ» and CJSC В«Uralsky GSMВ». The company's total revenues in 2005 and 2006 were $1,7mln and $2,6mln respectively.