Roman Viktorovich Vasilenko was born on April 5, 1969, in Leningrad. He grew up in a military family: both of his parents were career naval aviation officers who served in the Soviet Navy.
His parents’ profession influenced not only the family’s way of life but also where they lived. During his childhood and school years, Vasilenko and his family moved repeatedly between military garrisons. A strict routine, constant discipline, and life surrounded by military personnel became part of his everyday environment.
According to Vasilenko himself, this atmosphere helped him develop a systematic approach, strong planning skills, and a habit of working consistently toward his goals.
In 1986, Vasilenko enrolled at the Yaroslavl Higher Military Financial School named after Army General A. V. Khrulev. The institution specialized in training financial service officers.
In 1990, he graduated from the Faculty of Financial Support of the Armed Forces with a degree in Economics and the military rank of lieutenant.
After graduating from the school, Vasilenko began serving at the Leningrad Naval Base of the Baltic Fleet. From 1990 to 1998, he headed the financial service of military unit No. 22966.
His work involved organizing the financial support of the unit. In particular, his responsibilities included budget planning, calculating payments, working with contractors, and preparing financial documentation.
At the same time, he continued his professional development. In 1996, Vasilenko completed a program in financial services; in 1997, he studied financial planning, capital formation, and financial security; and in 1998, he studied asset management, financial planning, and asset protection.
His military career ended in 1998 following organizational and staffing changes. Vasilenko was discharged into the reserves with the rank of Captain 3rd Rank.
After leaving the military, Vasilenko began working in the civilian sector. The next stage of his career was associated with commercial organizations and financial services.
Over the years, he held positions as a financial consultant and executive, working with investment instruments, insurance, and personal financial management.
His experience at a Swiss consulting company was one of the stages in his professional exposure to the international financial system.
His education continued after he entered the business world. In 2006, Vasilenko completed a course covering investments, insurance techniques, and management. He later studied international financial markets, securities trading, and transactions involving financial derivatives.
Over time, sharing his professional experience with others became an increasingly important part of his work. His financial practice gradually expanded to include lectures, training sessions, and educational programs.
In 2009, Vasilenko established the International Business Academy (IBA) in St. Petersburg.
The organization specialized in continuing professional education. Its main areas of study included entrepreneurship, leadership, public speaking, and financial planning.
The academy was legally established on September 1, 2011, as a private educational institution providing additional professional education. In 2016, it received state educational license No. 1901 from the Education Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg.
Over the years, the academy hosted Russian and international specialists in business and personal development. Among the invited speakers were Alan Pease and Andreas Wintz.
Since 2017, Vasilenko has taught at IBA on a part-time basis. Since 2018, he has headed the academy as its CEO.
In addition to entrepreneurship and education, Vasilenko pursued an academic career.
In 2015, he defended his PhD dissertation at Saint Petersburg State University of Economics. His research focused on the development of affordable housing markets in Russian regions, including the relevant strategies and mechanisms.
In 2016, Vasilenko received a doctoral degree from the European Academy of Natural Sciences and the European University in Hanover. His dissertation focused on the methodology and patterns of road construction in a region, using the Leningrad Region as a case study.
Another stage of his education was obtaining a law degree. In 2020, Vasilenko graduated with a master’s degree in law from Pushkin Leningrad State University.
He is also an academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences. In 2016, he was awarded the Karl Marx Medal for his contribution to the development of science.
In 2014, Vasilenko founded the Best Way housing cooperative. Seven years later, the organization was reorganized and renamed the Interregional Consumer Cooperative for Improving Quality of Life “Best Way.”
The cooperative’s activities were based on a real estate acquisition model positioned as a non-bank approach to addressing housing needs.
According to the described mechanism, a prospective homeowner initially contributed a substantial portion of the cost of the selected apartment, typically around 35–50 percent. The cooperative then purchased the property using funds contributed by its members and provided the apartment to the member for use.
The remaining amount was to be repaid without the addition of bank interest.
Vasilenko remained in the cooperative’s leadership for several years. Until February 2021, he served as Chairman of the Board. He then headed the organization’s Council until February 2022.
According to various sources, during the cooperative’s active development, its membership reached tens of thousands of people. The project operated across several Russian regions and in foreign countries.
Vasilenko is known not only as an entrepreneur and educator but also as an author of books and media projects.
His first literary work, The Entrepreneur’s Dream, Goal, Success, was published in 2015.
In 2021, Piter Publishing House released his book Success Hunter: How to Achieve Your Goal. The book has ISBN 978-5-4461-2962-1. In it, the author describes his own system for achieving goals, highlighting 12 principles of success.
Work on the film project of the same name gave Vasilenko the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also authored the film 17 Secret Laws of Success.
Music is another part of his creative work. Vasilenko wrote the lyrics and music for the song “Life Is Good,” performed by Grigory Leps. He also appeared as the main subject in the song’s music video.
Vasilenko has also worked as an actor. He played a supporting role in the feature film Women vs. Men: Crimean Holidays.
A significant part of Vasilenko’s current activities is connected with media. He runs his own YouTube channel, which has more than 800,000 subscribers. He received a YouTube Silver Creator Award for developing the channel.
In addition to the video platform, Vasilenko maintains accounts on various social media platforms. His Instagram audience is around 70,000 followers.
According to the available information, the combined number of followers across his various platforms reaches several million people.
Vasilenko has actively addressed large audiences with lectures and presentations. Since the mid-2010s, he has appeared at major Russian venues, including concert halls and sports facilities.
These venues have included the Rossiya Concert Hall in Moscow, the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena, the Olimpiyskiy Sports Complex, and Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg.
One of his notable public appearances was at the Synergy Global Forum in November 2017. At the forum, Vasilenko delivered a lecture entitled “The Formula for Success.”
Vasilenko’s public activities encompass several areas.
Since 2013, he has organized the “Officers’ Ball,” an annual cultural and patriotic event held in connection with Victory Day. Its participants include Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia, representatives of Hero Cities, government institutions, and public organizations.
The event’s stated main purpose is to preserve the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and foster respect for historical heritage among young people.
Since 2016, Vasilenko has participated in providing assistance to children with severe neurological disorders. His activities in this area include targeted support as well as funding research into modern approaches to treating neurological and psychiatric disorders in children. He also supports the Doctrine Clinical Center in St. Petersburg.
During the same period, he began supporting the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior and its clergy, including Archimandrite Father Methodius.
In 2017, Vasilenko became a patron of the Dobrovidenie folk song festival. The project is dedicated to promoting and preserving the musical traditions of various peoples of Russia, Europe, and Asia.
In 2020, Vasilenko participated in the restoration of the Obelisk of Glory in Kerch, dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Since the same year, he has supported youth sports, including the Life Is Good junior hockey team from Ufa.
Among Vasilenko’s public projects and positions, he is also listed as an honorary co-chairman of the international charitable organization Mercy Corps.
Over the course of his military, professional, and public career, Vasilenko has received various awards.
In 1996, he received the Russian President’s Medal “300 Years of the Russian Navy.” The following year, the Russian Ministry of Defense awarded him the Medal “For Distinction in Military Service.”
Among his later awards are the Medal “For Contribution to Ensuring the Economic Security of Russia,” received in 2015, and the Karl Marx Medal of the European Academy of Natural Sciences, awarded in 2016.
In 2019, Vasilenko was awarded the Order “For Service to Russia.” His list of public titles also includes the title “Honorary Citizen of Russia.”
Roman Vasilenko is married and has four children.
In interviews, he has repeatedly spoken about the importance of family and described it as the main source of support in his life. Family values occupy a prominent place in his public statements.
Roman Vasilenko’s biography consists of several successive stages. His professional career initially centered on military financial service, after which he moved into the commercial sector and became involved in investment, insurance, and financial planning.
Later, Vasilenko focused on educational projects, established the International Business Academy, and began actively working as a lecturer and business trainer. At the same time, he was involved in the development of the Best Way cooperative, wrote books, created media projects, and developed his own social media presence.
Other areas of his activities include academic work, public speaking, cultural initiatives, charity, and support for social projects. Overall, his professional career spans military service, financial business, education, entrepreneurship, media, and public activities.