TRINFICO Investment Group is one of the biggest and oldest Russian companies in its segment. It has been providing brokerage and depository services and managing client asset since 1993. Its co-founder and current leader, Oleg Belaj, is a man of many talents who has traveled an unusual path to success.

The CEO of TRINFICO graduated from the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology and once seriously considered pursuing a career in physics. However, he became interested in entrepreneurship, and later, when he discovered the world of investment, he decided to build a business in this segment together with several partners.

This decision determined his entire future life. Throughout the history of the investment group, the businessman was in the thick of all major events in the company. Later, he became the CEO and majority shareholder of JSC TRINFICO and continued to implement successful business strategies in line with ESG principles and sustainable development practices.

Biography of the Entrepreneur

Oftentimes, successful businessmen come from wealthy families. Oleg Belaj, however, grew up in a family of ordinary programmers who knew nothing about business. There were no entrepreneurs among the close relatives of the future head of TRINFICO either. However, his parents were able to instill in him a sense of responsibility and determination — qualities that are essential for successful entrepreneurs.

Childhood and School Years

Belaj Oleg Viktorovich was born and raised in Moscow. He attended a standard-curriculum secondary school. That said, the entrepreneur was satisfied with the quality of the education he received as a child. From an early age, he was a responsible son and student. He spent a lot of time on self-studying and preferred the exact sciences. However, he was also good at many humanities subjects.

It is also worth mentioning that the entrepreneur possessed excellent social skills from an early age — Oleg Belaj's biography would not have been as exciting if it were not for his talent to get along with other people. Those close to him remember him as a sociable, honest, and incredibly charismatic kid. It is likely that these qualities later helped the entrepreneur become a talented negotiator and easily find partners for joint business ventures.

Education

After high school, Oleg decided to pursue a physics degree. He was choosing between several universities in Moscow and ultimately opted for MIET. According to the entrepreneur himself, the fact that it was the university of his parents did not particularly influence his choice. He cared more about receiving a quality education than continuing the family tradition. In other words, he was motivated by rational considerations.

In his first year of university, Oleg Belaj wanted to study science and believed that he would devote his future life to it. However, his priorities and interests soon changed. It happened around the time when the Soviet Union collapsed and Russia started to transition to a new economic model. The country welcomed its first private companies and began to foster entrepreneurial culture.

Business inspired many young people, who were often more flexible and ready to take calculated risks. Oleg Belaj was no exception. He realized that he wanted to develop his own business. However, his new priorities did not stop him from passing his final exams and defending his thesis. The future entrepreneur successfully completed his degree in engineering physics.

Interest in Entrepreneurship and First Business Projects

It is no secret that Oleg Belaj's TRINFICO Investment Group is the longest and most important project in his career. However, even before its inception, the young entrepreneur had a chance to participate in several other business ventures. The job offers often came from his friends and acquaintances. And although he demonstrated great performance in various executive positions, he did not want to manage other people's projects forever. The future entrepreneur dreamed of creating his own independent business.

One of his most successful early projects was a news agency that he founded together with a childhood friend. The partners distributed materials on financial topics. Many big media outlets in the country were interested in their services. However, the co-founders of the agency eventually lost interest in journalism. They switched their focus to investing and decided to build a business in this field.

Oleg Belaj's Role in the History of TRINFICO

The entrepreneur has always been modest about his own contribution to the company's success. He co-founded it when he was only twenty-one. Such a young age did not prevent him, however, from diving into all the key processes that underpinned the formation and growth of the investment group. To this day, he works hard to protect the assets and develop effective business strategies for his company.

Starting an Investment Company

TRINFICO was created in 1993. Oleg Belaj was one of the co-founders of the investment group. Back then, he and his partners could scarcely dream that one day their company would become one of the largest investment businesses in Russia, independent from bank and public capital.

From the very first day, the TRINFICO team decided to focus on a long-term growth strategy. As a result, this ordinary Moscow brokerage firm managed to gradually expand its service offerings and gain the trust of a wide audience. It was this period that largely influenced the company's future success.

Further Growth

From the early days, TRINFICO had to deal with a highly competitive environment. Investing seemed like a promising business opportunity, and many entrepreneurs began to create brokerage firms. It was also the time when foreign companies with greater resources, experience, and established reputations rushed into the Russian market.

And these were not the only problems that entrepreneurs had to face in the investment sector. Here are some other issues that existed in the market:

1. The industry was still insufficiently regulated; the laws were constantly changing and it was hard to quickly adapt to the ongoing reforms.

2. Many regulatory organizations did not yet exist, which brought chaos to the already-unstable markets.

3. The audience often mistrusted brokers due to the novelty of the business and because of the abundant cases of fraud in the market.

4. The list of accessible financial instruments was constantly changing; brokers had to quickly update their services to stay relevant.

5. The market was experiencing one crisis after one another, and new companies often went bankrupt after experiencing a brief moment of success.

An effective management strategy and a focus on risk assessment, in-depth analysis, and gradual growth made it possible for TRINFICO to steadily increase its client base and build a positive reputation. As a result, in just a few years, the young company became a leader in many segments of the Russian market.

Overcoming Multiple Crises

As an entrepreneur, Oleg Belaj has always paid great attention to asset protection issues. For a long time, he was responsible for structuring and protecting the company's assets. The efficiency of the TRINFICO team allowed the company to successfully overcome many crisis situations that were commonplace in Russia at the time.

However, the 1998 sovereign default could not but affect even the most stable enterprises. TRINFICO had to scale down its business. Oleg Belaj noted that the managers of the investment group gained difficult but valuable experience from that situation. The company managed to restore its volume of operations rather quickly.

Moreover, it was able to attract new partners. Its quick recovery was made possible, among other things, by collaboration with non-governmental pension funds. The company demonstrated great performance when managing their assets in the long run. Later, the investment group also began to work with the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.

Consolidation and Latest Results

In 2013, TRINFICO underwent the process of consolidation to combine the assets of the companies that were part of the investment group. This decision was announced in the largest business media outlets. Oleg Belaj took over as the head of the investment group and continued to work on its strategic development.

In 2024, Russia's NRA affirmed TRINFICO's non-credit rating at A+|ru.iv| (Outlook Stable). The experts based their decision on the following factors:

● over 30 years of the company's operation in the Russian market;

● the skills and professionalism of the investment team;

● the growing client base;

● the efficient risk assessment strategy;

● the growing revenues and strong liquidity risk indicators.

Today, TRINFICO continues to move forward while remaining independent from external capital. It is now a leading company in many investment market sectors. At the same time, its management team is constantly working to improve the quality of financial products, expand the range of services, and attract the widest possible audience.

Personal Life and Philosophy of the Businessman

The entrepreneur is married and has two children. He and his wife also strive to be involved grandparents. Oleg has many hobbies and enjoys active recreation, motocross, and trekking. He likes to travel whenever he gets a chance.

Staying True to the Green Agenda

Oleg Victorovich Belaj has remained loyal to the "green agenda" for many years. He notes that TRINFICO contributes to it by investing in sustainable businesses. The entrepreneur also initiated the introduction of fundamental ESG principles into the business strategy of his investment group.

TRINFICO became the first Russian asset management company to receive an ESG rating; later on, it managed to improve it repeatedly. According to Oleg Belaj, ESG integration is important not only for the environment, but also for sustainable business development. It is also a big part of corporate social responsibility.

Charity

Oleg Belaj is a well-known philanthropist. He gives to charity privately and does not like to discuss it in his interviews. The entrepreneur does not like to use charity as a PR tool. His real goal is to change the world for the better.

This was his motivation when he proposed to create the VMESTE SMOZHEM foundation. The organization aims to support vulnerable social groups and reduce poverty. Today, it provides grants to NPOs and charity projects that share its goals and principles. Its funding increases almost every year.