Anna Kharnas

I was born in USSR in Leningrad (now Saint-Petersburg). Perestroika times aligned with my teen years. We were dreaming a lot about the bright future but it was hard to believe in real changes. My parents sent me to the USA as an exchange student in August 1999. This trip supposed to be my gateway from USSR. But on August 21st the USSR collapsed. I realized that I could not miss such an important change in my country and returned home. I decided to study journalism but after graduation, I chose PR. It was interesting to be on the edge of creativity and real business.

In my professional life, I worked with many Russian and international brands like Motorola, Ferrari, and Harley-Davidson. I had projects all over the world. In 2008 I’ve got the most challenging and exciting job offer ever. Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee of Olympic and Paralympic Games appointed me as communication director. Next 7 years I was deeply involved in various projects that had a huge social impact. Any Olympics is not just about sport or infrastructure development, but also about culture, education and many other soft power tools that bring sustainable positive changes. So my next conscious choice was a non-for-profit private business school in Moscow.

I see SKOLKOVO as a place where we are growing a new-type elite that goes beyond just standard classes and networking. Global business knowledge, liberal arts, social impact, sports, mindfulness should become an essential part of our ecosystem. I hope that THNK will inspire me for new breathtaking ideas, and help me to take the next level from managing to a creative leader. Moreover, I hope that my family will benefit from my THNK experience as well. All of them –my husband, son (18) and daughter (4) give me a lot of support and energy to move forward.