Roman Rotenberg

Roman Borisovich Rotenberg (Роман Борисович Ротенберг; born 7 April 1981) is a Finnish and Russian entrepreneur, manager and ice hockey executive.

He is first vice-president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, general manager of the Russia national ice hockey team, Gazprombank vice-president (responsible for clients' attraction), member of the Kontinental Hockey League board of directors, Deputy Chairman of the KHL board, Deputy Chairman of the SKA Hockey Club board of directors, SKA CEO and vice-president, founder of Vitawin company (production and distribution of sports nutrition).

Founder of a number of other companies in the sports marketing, media and sports equipment markets.

He is also active in these following fields: owner of the Hartwall Arena stadium, chairman of the Arena Events board of directors and is Gazprom Export's consultant on external communications.

Roman Rotenberg was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, in 1981.

Irina Haranen, his mother, had a good job in the city's commercial management, while his father Boris Rotenberg, a Russian Master of Sport and a judo coach, taught self-defence at the military academy.

His grandfather was of Jewish descent, and worked as a director at the Leningrad factory plant for "Krasnaya Zarya" telephone handsets.

In 1991, Roman's and his younger brother Boris's parents decided to emigrate from St Petersburg to Helsinki as Ingrian returnees.

There, Roman, who had previously studied the English and Finnish language at school no. 204 next to the Hermitage, went into the third class of a normal school and received Finnish citizenship.

In Finland, Roman continued to compete in judo: since being five years old, his father had coached him and taken him to training camps.

After turning 11, Roman started to train with a local ice hockey team.

Upon leaving school, he went to a sports college and planned to become a professional hockey player.

In 1999, his father separated from his wife and returned to Saint Petersburg.

By Roman's own admission, beginning a sporting career would have been too risky.

Despite his father's objection, Roman travelled to study in London.

This was because his mother, who then owned a small business for the supply of gas condensate from Russia, demanded him to go there.

After a year of preparation courses, Roman joined the European Business School London, where he studied international business.

He earned a master's degree in business management.

Following his graduation, his father suggested that Roman stayed in London to work in a Barclays bank, while his mother wanted him to go back to Finland.

Upon his return to Russia in 2005, Roman decided not to join his father's and uncle Arkady's business, who were already well known entrepreneurs and SMP Bank owners.

Instead, with his father's advice, he began his business career with Gazprom Export, a company with which Roman could use his international communications and language skills.

He met Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom Export's CEO and also an enthusiastic hockey player.

In 2007, Medvedev developed the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) plan.

To manage all league commercial contracts, the KHL marketing company was created.

Roman was named the deputy general director.

At the 2009 Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, Roman spoke with Gazprombank representatives, the company with which Roman had work experience when studying in London.

To work with their bank, Roman had to go through a three-year procedure to retrieve his Russian citizenship and to receive a Russian financial degree (he defended his thesis covering the "Strategy of using market instruments in the physical culture and sports area" and earned a Ph.D. in economics).

At this moment in time, Roman is the company's vice president and is responsible for attracting big-name clients.

In January 2022, Rotenberg was appointed as the head coach of SKA St. Petersburg.

According to Moscow Times and other Russian news dailies, such an appointment brought "criticism from sports commentators for his lack of coaching experience".

Nevertheless, in July 2023, Rotenberg extended his coaching contract for another five years.

In 2011, SKA Hockey Club president Gennady Timchenko offered the position of club vice-president to Roman.

In 2014, it became known that Roman has British citizenship.

In January 2024, the Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported that he was included in the list of proxies of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin in the 2024 presidential elections.

By law, self-nominated candidates such as Putin are allowed to have proxies who campaign in their favor.

On the 11th of December 2014, Roman became the Russian Ice Hockey Federation's first vice-president.

He manages the cooperation between the RIHF and KHL, marketing strategies, and searches for new partners.

He is also the head of the Russian national team staff, including the analytical and statistical departments.

On the 20th of January 2015, Roman joined the KHL's board of directors.

Mikko Haranen, his maternal grandfather, was an Ingrian (Finns who moved to the St Petersburg region in the 17th century) born in the small village of Toksovo in Leningrad Region, where Boris and Irina once met.