V ladimir Fartushnyak is a successful entrepreneur who co-founded Sportmaster, one of the largest and most successful sporting goods retailers in Russia and Eastern Europe. He and his partners, brothers Nikolay and Dmitry Fartushnyak, identified a burgeoning market for sportswear and equipment in the post-Soviet era. Starting in the early 1990s, they began by distributing German sportswear brand Kettler, but quickly transitioned to building their own retail empire. They opened the first Sportmaster store in Moscow, and the concept of a large-format store offering a wide variety of sporting brands and equipment proved to be immensely popular.

The company's growth was explosive. Under the leadership of Fartushnyak and his partners, Sportmaster expanded rapidly across Russia and into neighboring countries like Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. They also developed their own private-label brands, such as Demix and Outventure, to complement their offerings from global giants like Nike and Adidas. The company's success lies in its effective supply chain management, savvy marketing, and ability to cater to a wide range of customers, from professional athletes to families seeking casual sportswear. Despite his considerable wealth and the success of his retail empire, Fartushnyak has maintained a very low public profile.

Quick Reads:

• Co-founder of Sportmaster, a leading sporting goods retailer in Russia.
• The company operates stores across Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
• He founded the company in the 1990s with his brothers.
• Sportmaster also owns the O'stin casualwear retail chain.
• He was born in Ukraine and later became a Russian citizen.