Aleksandr Kretov was born in Chelyabinsk in 1972, where he spent his childhood. In 1989, he entered the Chelyabinsk Polytechnic Institute, graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering five years later. He continued his education at the Financial University, specialising in Finance and Credit, and in 1996, he became a qualified economist.
A year earlier, Aleksandr Kretov had taken charge of the construction of the Center for the Food Industry - Ariant in Chelyabinsk. In the early 2000s, the company acquired the agrofirm Yuzhnaya, which owned extensive vineyards in the revered wine producing area of the Krasnodar Region. Under his management, the restoration and modernisation of the winemaking centre Kuban-Vino began. Since then, winemaking has become Aleksandr Kretov's main business interest, marking an important chapter in the history of Ariant.
Aleksandr Kretov says: "We all started from scratch. Today, we have 8,500 hectares of vineyards and increased the planting area by an average of 500 hectares annually. We pay great attention to the quality of the grapes. In 2020, we harvested 68,187 tons of the highest quality produce."
In December 2001 Aleksandr Kretov was elected as a deputy of the Regional Legislative Assembly. However, he made the decision to leave politics and continue his career in entrepreneurship. According to him: "I came to the decision that one should only engage in what they love."
In 2016, Aleksandr Kretov, an experienced manager, became the CEO of Agrofirma Ariant LLC specialising in meat production. He continued to improve the technical and technological processes in the company, developing and modernising the enterprise.
In 2019, Aleksandr Kretov held the position of Deputy CEO for Development at the Center for the Food Industry - Ariant LLC. Since 2020, the esteemed economist has been a shareholder within the Ariant Group of Companies. He has distanced himself from direct involvement in the company's operational processes and has assembled a proficient and devoted team. This team operates in alignment with a contemporary approach to organisation and performance?evaluation.
Aleksandr Kretov is married with five children and three grandchildren. He leads an active lifestyle and engages in football, tennis, swimming, yoga, and enjoys cycling and travelling in his free time.
