Open to opportunities

Andrei Kazakov

@andreikazakov

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Compensation & Benefits expert using analytics to optimize labor costs and retain talent.

Russian Federation

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a C&B role where I can partner with HR and leadership to optimize labor costs through strong budgeting/forecasting, cost control, and incentive design—while improving retention and employee satisfaction.

I’m an HR Expert with 15+ years of experience in compensation management, labor cost optimization, and HR business partnering. I’ve successfully developed and implemented C&B strategies that reduced labor costs by 25% while maintaining employee satisfaction above 85%.

Most recently as Head of C&B, I managed a 3B annual compensation budget for 4,500 employees and implemented programs (STI/LTI) that boosted productivity by 18%, while increasing retention by 20%. I bring deep expertise in budgeting and forecasting for organizations with 5,000+ employees, including variance analysis, headcount planning, and leadership stakeholder management.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Labor Cost Budgeting Expert

Current

Strana Development

Dec 2025 - Present (7 months)

Managed an annual labor cost budget of RUB 1.5B for 3,000+ employees and delivered 12% cost optimization through process improvements. Streamlined hiring processes to reduce time-to-hire by 30%.

Budget Management Cost Control Cost Optimization Process Improvement Stakeholder Management Forecasting SAP Google Sheets

Labor Cost Manager

X5 Tech

Sep 2025 - Dec 2025 (3 months)

Oversaw a RUB 800M annual labor budget and implemented variance analysis to reduce deviations by 15%. Conducted 50+ monthly meetings with senior leadership to support cost monitoring.

Forecasting Stakeholder Management SAP Google Sheets

Head of C&B

Ilim Group

Feb 2017 - Sep 2025 (8 years 7 months)

Implemented a C&B strategy that increased employee retention by 20%. Managed a 3B annual compensation budget for 4,500 employees and launched STI/LTI incentive programs boosting productivity by 18%.

Employee Retention STI and LTI Incentives Productivity Improvement HR Business Partnering Stakeholder Management SAP Cognos Qlik

Financial Manager

Ilim Group

Mar 2010 - Feb 2017 (6 years 11 months)

Optimized budgeting processes to reduce forecasting errors by 25%. Implemented cost initiatives saving RUB 150M annually and developed dashboards that reduced reporting time by 40%.

Forecasting Cost Optimization Financial Analysis Dashboarding SAP Cognos Qlik WebTutor