Natalya Kaspersky (Наталья Касперская) is one of the most famous female entrepreneurs in Russia and one of the wealthiest women in the country. Kasperskaya is known for being a highly influential person in the IT industry in Russia. She is the president of Infowatch and the former CEO and co-founder of the world-renowned antivirus software security company Kaspersky Lab. According to Forbes, Kasperskaya had an estimated fortune of $270 million in 2015.
Early Life and Education
Natalya Kasperskaya was born in Moscow on 5 February 1966. Her parents were both engineers. After eight years of basic education, Kasperskaya changed school from an ordinary school to a school run by the Moscow Aviation Institute which focused on mathematics and physics. After completing secondary schooling, she enrolled at the Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics where she studied applied mathematics. In later years she also graduated from Open University in the United Kingdom with a bachelor’s degree.
Career
At the start of her career, Natalya Kasperskaya worked at the central Scientific and Construction Bureau as a research scientist. When she was 28, Kasperskaya changed career focus to IT and began working in the sales division of a computer software company. Her next role in the industry was as head of distribution at AntiViral Toolkit Pro (AVP). She successfully implemented a support network for technical issues and created distribution channels for the company which grew rapidly as it entered global markets. In only three years, sales increased from $100 to $200 a month to over $1 million.
Kaspersky Lab and Infowatch
In 1997, Natalya Kasperskaya and Eugene Kaspersky launched Kaspersky Lab where she worked as CEO for over a decade. Kasperskaya cut all ties with the business in 2011. After she left the company, there was a significant drop in growth and revenue. Infowatch was launched after Kaspersky Lab acquired antispam technology created by Ashmanov and Partners. The company decided to use the technology backwards to create a solution that protects against data leaks, and so InfoWatch Traffic Monitor Enterprise was developed. Kasperskaya continues to own shares in Infowatch where she serves as president.
Awards and Ratings
Since 2009, Natalya Kasperskaya has received numerous nominations, ratings and awards including:
- Russian Business Leader of the Year 2012 by Horasis in Switzerland
- Person of the Year 2016 by the Best in Russia award
- Top 20 Women in Business in Northern Europe by the Nordic Business Forum
- Richest Woman in Russia by Forbes Magazine
- 100 Most Influential Women in Russia by the Echo of Mosco radio station
- Top Management by the Kommersant newspaper and Association of Russian Managers
- Top 50 Influential Business Women in Russia by the Kompaniya magazine
Personal Life
Natalya Kasperskaya was married to Eugene Kaspersky from 1986 to 1998 and the couple had two sons, Maxim and Ivan. Kasperskaya married Igor Ashmanov in 2001 after a long business relationship. They have three daughters, Varvara, Alexandra and Maria. In her free time, Kasperskaya enjoys theatre, travelling, skiing, trekking and reading business literature. She is fluent in Russian, German and English.