Yuliana Yuryevna Slashcheva (Russian: Юлиа́на Ю́рьевна Слащёва; born 9 September 1974) is a media manager, a communications expert, and Chairman of the Board at Soyuzmultfilm, Russia's oldest animation studio based in Moscow. Prior to joining Soyuzmultfilm she was the Chief Executive Officer of Russia's leading content holding CTC Media (2013—2016). Earlier she was the President and Chief Executive of Russia's largest strategic communications agency, Mikhailov & Partners, where she was responsible for the planning and delivery of major Russian and international projects.
Education and career
In 1996, Yuliana Slashcheva earned a degree in economics, marketing and PR from Moscow University for the Humanities. She took an internship in U.S.-based Quasar Communications, and in 1994, she joined Mikhailov & Partners communications group.
Between 2002 and 2004, Yuliana Slashcheva was the manager of corporate communications with ESN Group. In this role, she was responsible for external communications and relations with regional authorities, partners and mass media. During the same period, she has also served as Deputy Chief Executive of Russian energy company Kolenergo.
In 2004, as a Partner and Consultant with BBDO Group, she led the creation of a PR agency within the group.
In 2005, she returned to Mikhailov & Partners as its President. Yuliana Slashcheva has run over 200 communications campaigns for Russian and international clients during her term with this PR consultancy.
For 8 years, she was responsible for strategic development of the agency while overseeing the delivery of information campaigns for Russian and Western clients, communications support programs for government authorities and political associations, NGO reputation management programs, as well as investor relations and crisis communications programs.
On August 1, 2013, Yuliana Slashcheva was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of CTC Media. She was tasked with enhancing the communications with CTC Media investors and advertisers, diversifying the holding's business, and ensuring that CTC Media becomes more than just a television company.
In November 2013, under Yuliana Slashcheva's leadership, CTC Media adopted a new development strategy focused on the transformation of CTC Media into a content holding with diversified revenue sources. To implement this strategy, CTC Media took a number of actions, such as developing the transmedia and licensing operations, launching new businesses and expanding the presence of its content across different platforms. Slashcheva launched a series of projects beyond the traditional television domain to implement the new strategy:
CTC Media started to license its products for use in non-TV industries. The company signed a contract with Printdirect, an online print service offering personalized hoodies, t-shirts and mugs, licensing the use of images associated with the holding's TV projects. Slashcheva claims that this approach helps to improve the communications with company audiences. Upon the signing of the agreement, CTC Media opened its branded store on Printdirect website.
CTC Media launched the Sweet Me online clothing store. The Wildberries project was chosen as the store operator, while CTC Media focused on product placement of the brand into its channels and projects.
In October 2014, one of the holding’s channels Domashny launched its new design and presented an animated logo unique for the Russian market.
In 2014, CTC Media content was launched on the Hulu. Internet streaming platform. According to Slashcheva, Roskino actively supported the negotiation of this launch. For Hulu and Hulu Plus, CTC Media featured a lineup of TV series in a variety of genres.
As a part of the new business development program, CTC Media launched its fourth channel, CTC Love, in January 2014. Since the beginning of 2015, the new channel has acquired 0.78% share of the All 11-34 audience. CTC Love achieved even more impressive results with the Women 11-34 audience where it has consistently had over 1% share in 2015. Earlier in October 2014, CTC Love received the Golden Ray award in the Brightest Launch nomination.
In December 2014, the number of Molodezhka community subscribers on Vkontakte reached one million. In January 2015, CTC Media launched the first mobile game in the Molodezhka franchise.
To reinforce its digital business, in January 2015, CTC Media acquired Caramba TV, a producer of digital and transmedia content.
In August 2015, CTC Media launched Europe's first channel-wide application “CTC. Second Screen” integrating its TV programming with additional content delivered to mobile devices. The app was first used for the second season of the Molodezhka TV series. Support for other programming was added later.
In November 2015, CTC Media launched the new Che channel about “real men”, using the frequency previously occupied by Peretz.
In 2016, CTC Media opened a TV studio for children under the partnership agreement with KidZania park in Moscow.
The new development program helped CTC Media to become Russia's first TV holding to build a profitable digital and transmedia business. In 2014, new amendments to the Russian mass media law limited the aggregate foreign beneficial ownership or control of Russian mass media to no more than 20% starting from January 1, 2016. This limitation applied to CTC Media holding as well. As the result, the holding owners and the management team started thinking about changing the company ownership.
After setting up the sale of CTC Media from its owners to Alisher Usmanov's and Ivan Tavrin's UTH by September, Yuliana Slashcheva told the media that this scenario would help the company management to focus on core business as it would solve the issues arising from the changes to the mass media law. The final closure of this transaction in December 2015 required the company shareholders’ approval. Slashcheva personally urged them to vote for the sale of CTC Media. The deal was completed on December 24, 2015. It was announced at the same time that Slashcheva would continue in her role in the company.
Upon the sale consummation, Yuliana Slashcheva together with UTH representatives was elected to the Board of the new managing entity, CTC Investments, which became the owner of Russian and Kazakh assets of CTC Media. Her authority as the CEO of the holding itself was expanded.
May 26, 2016 it became known that Yuliana Slashcheva leaves the CTC Media.
Accomplishments and Awards
Silver Archer (triple winner).
In 2007, ranked one of the most influential business women in Russia, according to the Career magazine.
Flawless Reputation annual award of the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in the Best PR Expert nomination.
In 2007 and 2008, Slashcheva made the top ten of the Professional Services category of the Russia's Top 1000 Managers rating compiled by the Association of Russia's Managers and Kommersant publishing house.
2007 Russia's Media Manager of the Year award in the Public Relations nomination.
2008 Person of the Year award in the Special Nomination for outstanding contribution to the positive image of Russian business.
Top spot in the 2012 Top 100 PR Professionals — Best PR Agency Directors ranking of the Career magazine.
In 2012, 2013 and 2015 Yuliana Slashcheva was included in the Russia's 50 Most Influential Business Women rating of the Сompany magazine.
In 2015, Yuliana Slashcheva was included in Kommersant's Executive Rating in the Media Business category.
In 2015, Yuliana Slashcheva was included in The 20 Most Powerful Women in Global TV 2015 rating of the major film industry magazine, The Hollywood Reporter.
Yuliana Slashcheva is married to Sergei Mikhailov. She has a daughter and two sons.
