Leonid Reiman

Leonid Reiman — Telecommunications Expert, Entrepreneur, Consultant

Leonid Reiman is a telecommunications specialist and private consultant with decades of experience building Russia’s communications and digital infrastructure. His career spans handson engineering at city telephone networks, leadership in early mobile projects, and senior roles shaping industry policy during a period of rapid market expansion.

Today Reiman works as an independent consultant and industry expert on projects involving digital infrastructure, telecommunications, investments, and the management of complex technology systems. His core areas of expertiseinclude:

• Landline and mobile communications development

• Telecommunications market regulation and policy

• National digital infrastructure and government ICT projects

• Research in infocommunications

• Consulting, investment, and expert advisory work

Early life and education

Born on July 12, 1957 in Leningrad into a family of philologists, Reiman took an engineering route from an early age. He attended LETI Physics and Mathematics School No. 211 (now the Pierre de Coubertin Lyceum) and graduated in 1979 from the BonchBruevich Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute of Communications as a telecommunications engineer. While studying he trained as a fifthgrade cable splicer, gaining practical field experience alongside theoretical studies.

Career highlights

Reiman began at the Leningrad LongDistance Telephone Exchange, rising from engineer to department head. After military service he returned to senior roles in the Leningrad City Telephone Network and later at Petersburg Telephone Network OJSC. In the early 1990s he helped launch one of Russia’s first mobile operators, Delta Telecom, in partnership with US WEST.

Public service and digital transformation
In 1999 Reiman entered government service as State Secretary — First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Telecommunications, later leading the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. During his tenure the Russian telecom market grew rapidly: mobile and internet access expanded, networks were modernized, and regulatory frameworks were established. He contributed to the Federal Law “On Communications” and led initiatives to extend connectivity across education, healthcare, and remote regions—most notably a national program to connect schools to the internet and preparations for the transition from analog to digital TV broadcasting.

Academia and publications

Reiman earned a Doctorate in Economics in 2004 with research on the formation of the infocommunications services market. He is the author of professional publications and books on telecommunications, digital environments, and the application of ICT in medicine and education.

Current activities and interests

After leaving public office in 2008, Reiman has focused on entrepreneurship, investment, and expert consulting in telecommunications and digital infrastructure. He also supports educational and charitable initiatives, including the “Who, If Not Me?” foundation and his former school, the Pierre de Coubertin Lyceum. He is married, a father, and enjoys classical music, tennis, and helicopter sports.