Konstantin Sokolov
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
Managing Director for Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions
Chicago, US
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Konstantin Sokolov is an American entrepreneur, private equity investor and philanthropist. He is founder of IJS Investments, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on critical infrastructure and financial services.
Further to this expertise, he is a major shareholder in Viva, Armenia’s largest mobile and telecommunications company. He is also the founder of the Northern Pillar Energy Consortium and serves as Chairman of Pelagos Data Centres.
Konstantin is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Munich Security Conference Foundation, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms for high-level dialogue on international security. He also serves as a Board Member of the American Friends of the Munich Security Conference.
Moving permanently to the United States aged 21, Konstantin began his career at Qwest Communications, rising to become Director of Enterprise Architecture. He later moved to multinational energy giant Centrica plc, where he was Managing Director for Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions. Konstantin has advised governments, sovereign wealth funds and central banks, led restructuring projects and has steered the listing of firms on all the major global exchanges.
Raised in an academic family, he is a passionate advocate for the value of education and the ‘relentless pursuit of knowledge’. He holds a master’s degree in mathematics and computer science from St. Petersburg State University and an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Recognizing the defining role of Chicago Booth on his career, in 2025 he made a gift of $100 million to the school, reflecting his support for Booth’s rigorous academic approach and his commitment to expand opportunity for others. Chicago Booth has renamed its Executive MBA course the Sokolov Executive MBA in his honor. Konstantin also serves as a member of the Booth Polsky Center Private Equity Council.
The Record
Background
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1997 — 2004
Director of Enterprise Architecture
Qwest Communications
Qwest was a major US telecommunications firm providing services in almost a third of the country’s states. Established in 1996, it was later acquired by Lumen Technologies.
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2004 — 2007
Managing Director for Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions
Centrica plc
Centrica is a multinational, FTSE 100 listed energy and services company. It is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK and one of the largest suppliers of electricity. It operates worldwide through regional operations, joint ventures, and acquisitions
In The News
Newsfeed
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2 August 2025 · PanArmenian.Net
Viva celebrated its 20th anniversary
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15 April 2025 · Chicago Tribune
Chicago Booth renaming executive MBA program after alum donates $100M
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15 April 2025 · Forbes
University Of Chicago Given $100 Million For Its Executive MBA Program
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15 April 2025 · Bloomberg
University of Chicago Gets $100 Million Gift for Business School
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Formative Years
Education
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The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Executive MBA
2003 — 2005
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St. Petersburg State University
Master's degree | Mathematics and Computer Science
1992 — 1997
Areas Of Focus