Ivan Safonov is the founder of the company Orion Solutions, whose key specialization is the development and maintenance of digital profiles in search engines. He is a former manager at McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group, and a graduate of Moscow State University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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Ivan Safonov (Orion Solutions founder) was born in Moscow in January 1984. Showing curiosity for mathematics and programming since childhood, he was accepted into a prestigious educational institution known for its strong mathematical foundation — School No. 91. This place was famous for its graduates, many of whom successfully realized their potential in science and technology.
In 2001, Safonov Ivan, being inclined toward fundamental disciplines, entered the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics at Moscow State University. CMC is the driving force in IT specialist training in Russia. Safonov Ivan worked extensively on implementing research projects, collaborating with academic institutes and specialized laboratories.
In 2004, after four years of study, Safonov Ivan Viktorovich gained his first experience in the business environment. He joined a team of software developers working on production process optimization. It was this project that sparked the interest that Safonov Ivan has in business and determined his further career development.
Seeking to expand his competencies, Safonov Ivan enrolled in the New Economic School. From 2005 to 2007, he studied in the Master of Economics program, which taught him to combine his deep knowledge in science and technology with business acumen.
2007 marked the start of Ivan Viktorovich Safonov's managerial development in consulting, at Princeton Partners Group. Despite starting in an entry-level position, his ability to effectively solve complex problems was soon rewarded by management — after several months, he took a leadership role in analytics. He worked with vastly different clients — from metallurgy, healthcare, and real estate sectors — which allowed him to gain diverse experience in business planning and creating organizational development strategies.
In 2008, Ivan Safonov accepted an offer from the Rimera oilfield services holding company, where he became an integral part of the strategic department. Working with major industrial players reinforced his understanding of the production sector's specifics and the peculiarities of developing large-scale enterprises.
In autumn 2009, a major player in the Russian book market — Eksmo publishing house — entrusted Safonov Ivan Viktorovich with leading the sales analytics and strategy department. During the period of active industry digitalization, he built a system for evaluating business indicators — from product portfolio research to monitoring marketing activities' effectiveness. The loyalty program for bookstore chains he developed and implemented helped strengthen the publisher's market position, while participation in M&A deal assessment significantly expanded his expertise in corporate mergers.
In 2010-2011, Safonov Ivan worked at Monitor Group's Moscow office – a significant career milestone. He led a team of specialists implementing projects for a mining company in a CIS country. Under his supervision, an innovative strategy was also developed for a consumer credit bank, which included expanding technological capabilities and aligning the entire business model with the new strategy.
2011 was marked by an important career decision for Ivan Viktorovich Safonov — obtaining international business education at the prestigious Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. This step opened new perspectives and opportunities for professional growth.
In 2013, after receiving his MBA degree, Safonov Ivan remained in the U.S., joining McKinsey & Company — a company that experts consider to be a forge for high-class executives.
Over four years of work, Safonov Ivan implemented numerous large-scale projects where his technical expertise in programming significantly contributed to the effective solution of assigned tasks.
In 2017, Ivan Safonov returned to Russia, where he joined the Boston Consulting Group team as a project manager. This was a period of unprecedented growth in Russian business digitalization: according to research, more than half of domestic companies assessed their digital development stage as mature, which was twice the global average. Technological transformation was particularly active in the banking sector, where Russian solutions were on par with international counterparts.
One of the significant projects under the leadership of Ivan Safonov was implemented for a major Russian bank. The team of specialists worked on a comprehensive transformation of the Customer Journey. This included creating a digital ecosystem covering all points of customer interaction with the bank — from the first website visit to the use of banking products. Safonov Ivan coordinated work on improving online services, user interfaces, and service processes.
During this period, Ivan Viktorovich Safonov noted a peculiarity of the Russian market: while business digitalization was rapid, issues of information security and correct representation in the digital space often remained without proper attention. This imbalance between the speed of technology implementation and the level of protection created a growing need for systematic approaches to managing online information about company leaders and organizations themselves. It was this combination of technical education, international experience, and deep understanding of business needs that allowed Safonov Ivan to subsequently create a company offering a solution to this pressing problem.
In 2020, drawing on years of experience with business digital transformation, a new company was founded by Ivan Safonov – Orion Solutions.
The absence of current information on the internet can have serious consequences for businesses and their leaders, believes Ivan Safonov. Orion emphasizes that today, a digital profile has become a determining factor in making crucial decisions. Banks analyze it before opening accounts, partners study it before signing contracts, and investors examine it before starting negotiations.
Led by Ivan Safonov, Orion Solutions offers comprehensive solutions for forming and protecting how people and companies are presented in search engines. During its operation, the company has implemented more than 200 projects both in Russia and abroad. The foundation of their success lies in an unconventional combination of competencies: deep understanding of business processes, technical expertise in programming, and extensive international experience.
The key areas of work for the company founded by Ivan Safonov, Orion, include:
By 2024, world business was facing unprecedented technological challenges. According to Safonov Ivan Viktorovich, distorted and disinformation on the internet are the number one global threat for the coming years. The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence, which by 2026 could be creating up to 90% of all online content, is radically changing the rules of the game in the digital space.
Ivan Safonov, based on current research and his own experience, views the issue of artificial intelligence and digitalization as one of the key challenges of our time. "It's not artificial intelligence that will replace humans, but rather humans who know how to use artificial intelligence will replace those who don't," emphasizes Safonov Ivan Viktorovich, drawing attention to the need for adaptation to new technological realities.
The founder of Orion Solutions, Ivan Safonov, believes that AI development will follow the path of narrow specialization. "One excels at writing paragraphs, another is great at checking errors, a third one sets emphases," he explains, adding that artificial intelligence comparable to human intelligence does not yet exist. The expert is confident in the inevitability of regulation in this sphere: "Such a powerful thing can’t remain unregulated."
At Orion Solutions, Ivan Safonov focuses on the issue of information reliability in the digital space. According to research by the company's analytics team, 33% of profiles in global databases are built on false information. Current information is present in only 2% of accounts. The CEO notes: "Today, understanding what is true and what is false is not such a simple task. And the problem is only getting worse."
In his practice, Safonov Ivan often encounters situations where inaccurate information affects business and activities, not only of significant persons but also those around them — children, parents, business partners, and friends. "This can have real consequences. And no one will even ask you any questions," he warns.
Ivan Safonov's story is an example of how deep understanding of technology and business can lead to the creation of a truly in-demand product. Starting his career as a programmer, he progressed from Moscow offices to international companies, from writing code to managing large projects. At each stage, the Orion Solutions head not only successfully handled tasks but also found new growth points.
Safonov Ivan was among the first to realize that uncontrolled spread of information in the digital space carries serious risks for businesses and individuals. While most companies were talking about the advantages of digitalization, the Orion Solutions founder focused on protection from its negative consequences — data manipulation and spread of inaccurate information.
Created by Ivan Safonov, Orion Solutions helps businesses and individuals manage their digital history, which is extremely necessary in a situation where one incorrect fact on the internet can negate years of successful work. Meanwhile, Ivan Viktorovich Safonov actively shares his accumulated knowledge by publishing expert articles in leading analytical media outlets.
