Aspring Capital Managing Partner Leads M&A Discussion at CEO Forum

June 10, 2025, Moscow – Sergey Airapetov, Managing Partner at investment banking group Aspring Capital, moderated a high-profile panel discussion titled “CEOs and Growth Through M&A” at the annual CEO Forum.

The session featured prominent industry leaders: Alexander Ayvazov, Senior Vice President and Board Member at VK; Ivan Guz, Co-CEO of Avito; and Vadim Akopov, Deputy CEO for Strategy and M&A at Severgroup.

The panel explored the evolving role of CEOs in mergers and acquisitions — should they take the lead themselves or delegate to their teams? Speakers also shared insights on building effective internal M&A capabilities, when to bring in investment banks, and why planning for post-deal integration is crucial from the outset. The conversation sparked strong interest from attendees and highlighted the critical role of CEO involvement in driving strategic growth through deals.

The CEO Forum is a closed-door event for top business leaders, bringing together CEOs of major companies, heads of family offices, and Forbes-listed shareholders. This year’s program included more than 30 speakers, 15 forward-looking topics, and over 14 hours of high-level discussion on the future of Russian business, growth strategies, and transformation.

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