OREANDA-NEWS. August 2, 2012. As part of the integration of Sberbank of Russia and Troika Dialog a new structural subdivision – Sberbank Merchant Banking – is being created in the Corporate Investment Block (CIB). This subdivision will bring together the Strategic Projects Department, currently part of Troika Dialog’s Investment Banking Division, and the Sberbank Investment team, a 100% subsidiary of Sberbank of Russia.

Sberbank Merchant Banking will have the task of creating a high-yield securities portfolio of the clients of the CIB – key representatives of various sectors of the economy. The investment focus of Sberbank Merchant Banking will also include existing clients and those that are potentially interested in CIB products and services. Investments will include shares, derivatives and structured instruments. It is assumed that the initial phase will focus primarily on investing Sberbank’s equity capital. In future it is possible that Sberbank Merchant Banking will manage funds from co-investors.

The newly-created subdivision will be headed by Oscar Ratsin, who prior to this was Managing Director and Deputy Head of Investment Banking. In his new position, Oscar will report directly to Co-head of CIB, Member of Sberbank’s Management Board, Vice President and Director of the Corporate Clients Department Alexander Bazarov, and Ruben Vardanian, President of Troika Dialog.

Oscar Ratsin joined Troika Dialog in July 2011 from Sberbank, where he headed the Corporate Finances Division of the Corporate Clients Department for two years. Mr Ratsin possesses over 20 years of international experience of the financial industry, including in investment banking and private equity funds.