Bochniakov will lead Viber’s local team and will be responsible for adapting new features for the Ukrainian market and the Ukrainian diaspora around the world, as well as for partnerships, marketing and communications in Ukraine. Previously, these tasks were assigned to Atanas Raikov, Vice President of Global Marketing and Development, based in Sofia, Bulgaria.
«Ukraine is one of the key countries for Rakuten Viber, and we were looking for a leader who understands the local market and how our product can best fit it. Ilya will be responsible for local launches of new products and solutions, as well as ensuring that Ukraine receives all the innovations from Rakuten Viber as soon as possible», — says Atanas Raikov.
Previously, Ilya headed the technology media outlet AIN.UA for 8 years and launched AIN.Capital, AIN.Business and Recruitika in the last 3 years. Prior to working in media, Boshniakov managed recruiting and HR in a group of British technology companies covering FinTech, GameDev, MarTech, etc.
«I have long admired the idea of Rakuten Viber, which first made the app a standard for many aspects of everyday life, and now has built an entire ecosystem of products, content, and services on this basis. I’m glad to join the team and work together on solutions that have a noticeable positive effect for users, businesses, and the economy as a whole,» says Ilya.
Rakuten team on opening an office in Kyiv and plans to join Diia.City first announced in January. Currently, three Rakuten companies (Rakuten Viber, Rakuten Advertising, and Rakuten Rewards) have development and marketing teams in Kyiv and Odesa, so the Kyiv office will allow them to work together and increase development efficiency.
Rakuten also intends to hire additional specialists in the technology sector. It is expected that one of the next steps will be the launch of Rakuten Viber digital wallet service in Ukraine after its successful implementation in several European countries.