Pavel Rybakov

Chief Technology Officer · Digital Transformation Executive

23+ years of technology leadership across power generation, grid operations, and enterprise IT — currently leading platform engineering at fintech Salmon. Builds engineering organizations, modernizes legacy estates, and ships AI-native delivery platforms at scale.

✉ me@rybakov.tech 📞 +82 10-9823-4757 ✈ @Gloomy_man 🔗 linkedin.com/in/rybakov
📍 Incheon, South Korea 🌐 English C1-C2 · Russian (native) ✈ Open to relocation 🏆 PMP · ITIL · CDTO (Skolkovo)
Executive Summary
Hands-on technology executive. Ran IT for ~1,500-employee energy holdings (KES / T Plus / Quadra), led grid-dispatch infrastructure at Russia's national Transmission System Operator (SO UPS), modernized generation IT at Enel Group, and now leads operations engineering (team of 50+) at fintech Salmon. Skolkovo CDTO, PMP, ITIL. Daily evaluator of frontier AI tooling (Claude Code, Codex, MCP) — brings new agent capabilities into production engineering workflows. Combines enterprise transformation, operational reliability (SCADA / dispatch / 24x7), and modern engineering practice (event-driven architecture, agent-driven delivery, Kubernetes, IaC).
Core Expertise
Technology Leadership
CTO / CIO / CDTO scope · org design · hiring · vendor strategy · P&L
AI & Agentic Engineering
Claude Code · Codex · MCP · agent workflows · evals · spec-first dev
Digital Transformation
Skolkovo CDTO · BCG / UVA cert · smart metering · IoT · data platforms
Engineering
Java / Clojure · Node.js · TypeScript · React · event-driven systems
Platform & Infra
Kubernetes · Terraform · cloud · IaC · observability · 24x7 ops
Enterprise Stack
SAP · Oracle CC&B · SharePoint · ECM · SCADA / ICS integration
Delivery & Process
Agile / SAFe · PMP · ITIL v3 · Lean IT · portfolio governance
Domain
Power generation · transmission · grid dispatch · energy management · fintech
Industries
Fintech / Consumer Lending Power Generation (TPP / CCGT) Transmission System Operator (TSO) / Grid Dispatch Energy Distribution & District Heat Travel-Tech (founder) FMCG (Unilever, Kraft) Automotive (Valeo)
Professional Experience

Salmon — Consumer Fintech (Philippines)

Operations Engineering Manager · Head of Low-code
Feb 2023 — Present
  • Lead operations engineering team of 50+ covering platform, infrastructure, and AI-assisted delivery
  • Head of Low-code function — migrated a full project from low-code to production-grade code in 2 weeks with tests and observability
  • Redesigned engineering delivery around agent-driven development; built reusable platform templates (Clojure backend + React frontend) consumed directly by LLM agents
  • Authored a Kubernetes / Terraform deployment skill turning infra changes from days of coordination into minutes of self-service
  • Cut new-service delivery from months to weeks; 5 systems shipped on the new templates within month one
  • Set org-wide engineering standards for AI-assisted workflows, eval loops, MCP integrations, and spec-first development

Quadra — Russian Power Generation & Heat Holding

Head of Digital Transformation
Power generation (TPP/CHP), heat supply, electricity distribution
Apr 2018 — 2022
  • Built methodology for economic evaluation of IT/digital projects and embedded it in the corporate investment process
  • Launched portfolio-level IT governance and project controls across the holding
  • Drove digitalization initiatives: energy resource metering platforms, new customer interaction channels, data-driven operations
  • Aligned IT roadmap with generation, transmission, and dispatch business units

Guides in the City — Tech-Enabled Travel

Co-founder / CEO / CTO
Sep 2015 — Present
  • Co-founded and scaled a semi-automated excursion sales business across 100+ cities, network of 1,000+ guides, 600–800 orders/month
  • Designed and built the event-driven Node.js platform (receptors → handlers → executors); reduced sales cycle from ~2 days to 4 hours
  • Took the company to operating profit; built strategy, hired core team, and automated business processes end-to-end

T Plus — Major Russian Heat & Power Generator

Senior Consultant, Business Reengineering
Thermal power generation (TPP), heat supply (CHP)
Dec 2014 — Sep 2015
  • Led three flagship programs: Lean IT, new enterprise information architecture, and total energy-resource metering as a self-sustaining business line
  • Shifted IT support model from project-reform support to end-to-end business-process support

Strategic Business Systems (KES-Holding) — Internal IT Company

CEO
IT services, systems integration, IT consulting for power holding
Apr 2013 — Dec 2014
  • Ran the internal IT subsidiary serving KES-Holding's power generation and distribution companies (~1,500 IT staff in scope)
  • Service portfolio: infrastructure & telecom, SAP, Oracle CC&B, SharePoint, ECM, and SCADA / ICS for combined-cycle (CCGT) plants
  • Reorganized the IT organization from branch-based silos into functional centers of expertise
  • Owned full P&L, vendor portfolio, and delivery quality for the IT services entity

SO UPS — System Operator of the Unified Power System (Russia's National TSO)

Head of Software & Hardware Systems Service
National Transmission System Operator — dispatch & control of the unified power system
Dec 2011 — Mar 2013
  • Ran software / hardware complexes for grid dispatch operations across 50 regional branches of the national Transmission System Operator
  • Participated in development of dispatch control systems for the unified power system
  • Operated in a high-reliability, 24x7 critical-infrastructure environment with strict SLAs

Enel OGK-5 (Enel Russia) — Power Generation

Head of IT Operations, IT Directorate
Thermal power generation (TPP) — 4 power plants
Jul 2009 — Dec 2011
  • Brought IT operations of OGK-5 in line with parent Enel Group (Italy) standards; introduced best practices in support and solution architecture
  • Ran IT for central office and 4 power plants in a distributed environment

Valeo Service Russia — Automotive Components

Director of Information Technology (CIO)
Jul 2008 — Jul 2009
  • Stood up IT for the Russian business launch: office infrastructure, integration with 3PL warehouse provider, SAP support

OGK-5 (5th Wholesale Generation Co.) — Power Generation

Head of User Support Department
Aug 2005 — Jul 2008
  • Built the service-oriented IT support function from scratch in a generation company formed during Russia's electricity market reform

Earlier: Unilever CIS · Kraft Foods Rus

IS Specialist / Business Systems Assistant
2003 — 2005
  • FMCG IT support and infrastructure roles in two global enterprises
Education
Chief Digital Transformation Officer (CDTO)
Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO — Center for Digital Transformation
2019
MBA — CIO
Russian Presidential Academy (RANEPA) — School of IT Management
2005
Economist (Energy Policy & Diplomacy) — Honours
MGIMO University (Moscow State Institute of International Relations)
2009
Systems Engineer (Informatics & Applied Math)
Vladimir State University
2003
Certifications
PMP — Project Management Institute (2011, renewed 2017) · Project Management Expert — PM Expert (2011) · ITIL v3 Operational Support & Analysis — IT Expert (2011) · ITIL Foundation — EXIN (2006) · Digital Transformation — BCG & University of Virginia (2018) · International Project Management — PMT Group (2010)