The processor developer MCST has changed its CEO after rumors of missed state defense order deadlines

Andrei Pimenov has been appointed CEO of the company "MCST" (developer of the "Elbrus" processors) as of January 23. He replaced Alexander Kim, who had led the enterprise since its founding in 1992, CNews reports. Pimenov previously held the position of Director of Marketing and Public Relations at NPTs "ELVIS" — the developer of the "Skif" mobile processors. Since 2024, he has also headed "Elvis-Komponent".

The change in management was expected: in the autumn of 2024, MCST was placed under external management by a competitor — NPTs "ELVIS". By the end of 2025, the company was removed from external management for a subsequent sale. Before that, in 2022, a Taiwanese factory refused to cooperate with MCST because of sanctions. And in November 2024, Vedomosti wrote about missed state defense order deadlines and problems at the Ministry of Internal Affairs with replacing servers with "Elbrus"-based systems.

The company has not disclosed its financial indicators since 2018: at that time, revenue amounted to 2.08 billion rubles, while net profit was 40 million. A controlling stake, according to Kommersant, belongs to Alexander Kim. Despite the difficulties, MCST has a major project — the creation of a network of regional control centers for security agencies based on "Elbrus" processors. It will require about one million domestically produced chips.

Alexander Kim is a Candidate of Technical Sciences and the author of more than 60 scientific papers and 15 patents. Under his leadership, various organizations completed more than 100 experimental design and research projects, created more than 10 types of microprocessors and 40 computing systems, and developed three operating systems.

Earlier, NPTs "ELVIS" was fined 50 million rubles for disrupting the first stage of work on processors for the integrated modular avionics of combat complexes. The company was 78 days overdue in completing the tasks.