Sergei Yurievitch Polonsky is a Russian businessman, the owner and head of one of the largest real estate companies Mirax Group (2004-2011). Now he is shareholder and investor of a number of commercial structures incorporated in the holding ‘Potok’ (Flow) (as of December 2011), earlier «Nazvanie.net».

S. Polonsky was born on 1st of December, 1972, in St. Petersburg. In 1989, he joined the Airborne Troops. He did his military service in 21-th separate air assault brigade (1990-1992), which was stationed in the time of the armed conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia in the combat zone at Tskhinval.

In 1994, Polonsky established the Stroymontazh LLC company, which specialized in construction and fit-out works. In 2000, he set up the Moscow office of Stroymontazh, which was renamed as Mirax Group in 2004.

In 2000 Polonsky graduated from the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. He qualified as an economist and manager with a specialization in Economics and Management of Building Enterprises. He is Candidate of Economic Sciences.

Over the past 11 years in Moscow, the company headed by Sergei Polonsky has built 2.5 million square meters of high-class of residential and commercial real estate. Among these are: residential complexes «Korona», «Golden keys», cottage village «Y», business centers Pollars» and «Europe Building », residential complexes «Taganka House «, » Kutuzov Riviera «, «M-Park» and the multi-functional business-complex «Federation Tower», located in the Moscow international Business Center «Moscow City». At this time, Polonsky’s company Stream Infinity operates in real estate markets of Russia, Ukraine, France, Cambodia, Montenegro, the United States, Switzerland and the UK.

In different periods, Polonsky was a member of various voluntary associations: 2001-2005 – member of the Council of Entrepreneurs under the Mayor and Government of Moscow, 2001-2010 – the “Business Russia” organization of entrepreneurs. In 2003 Polonsky was elected as Vice President of the Russian Academy of Business and Enterprising, in 2004 – Vice President of the public association of professional managers International Club of the Best Managers of the New Era. In 2005 Polonsky was one of those who established the Russian Builders’ Association, and till now remains it’s First Vice President.

For his services to business, S.Polonsky was awarded with Merit badge of Honorary Russian Builder, the Construction Olympus 2002 award in the personal category “Manager of Complete-Cycle Construction Company”, personal golden medal, diploma and personal merit badge of the French National Association for National Industry Support (Societe d’Encouragement pour L’Industrie Nationale, SPI).

In March 2008, Polonsky refused to defend his doctorate thesis in the State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles and organized a public defense in his blog. Polonsky arranges regular master classes for university students (MSU, MGIMO, HSE, MFPA and others) and lectures for the Nazvanie.NET personnel. The most popular topics of his master classes and lectures are enterprising, personal development and success strategies in business. Starting from academic year 2009-2010, Polonsky is the Chairman of the Management in Development Business Department set up under an agreement with the Moscow Finance and Industry Academy for training young specialists for the benefit of construction companies. In 2002 Polonsky was elected Senator and President of the International Chamber of Youth.

In October 2011, Sergei Polonsky was noted by the Forbes magazine as one of the 9 most unusual Russian businessmen — a fantastical fellow, crank and eccentric. He is well known for his extravagant actions and utterances. For example, Polonsky officially banned use of faxes in the company, and backed the ban by a demonstrative destruction of a fax, commenting it as follows: «I don’t want people in my company to use outdated technologies. All faxes in MIRAX have been thrown on the scrap-heap. It does not affect the working efficiency, but, on the contrary, brings it up». In March 2010 Sergey Polonsky threw a few company board members’ mobile phones against the wall at the board of directors meeting, thus putting an end to the corporate habit of using phones and other gadgets at business meetings. Exception could be made only for answering a call worth a million dollars to the company. Discussing the eccentric personality of S. Polonsky’s financial talent, people emphasize in their opinions: Polonsky is, of course, a «self-made man», and a symbol of transformation of sociality in Russia.

To deliver seminars for the staff, Polonsky invites world-famous professionals: John Tschohl, Tom Peters, Kjell Nordstrom, Philip Kotler, and famous Russian coachs Vladimir Gerasichev, Alexander Savkin. Philip Kotler said that the creative leader of the company is a big plus for the brand, and marketing communications of company should be based on it.

In 2004, Russian and western press wrote about Polonsky’s wish to commit space flight to the International Space Station (ISS) as a tourist. Sergei Polonsky, preparing for a spaceflight to the ISS, completed a full astronaut training course, but the flight did not happen, because due to his tallness there was not enough room for his legs under the console, which could lead to injury during a spacecraft landing. In 2008 Polonsky was the first developer who openly admitted that the Russian real estate market was hit by the global financial crisis. Polonsky announced that he will eat his tie if the elite apartments’ prices do not rise more than by 25% in 1.5 years. The forecast came true with a half a year delay, and in 2011 Polonsky ate a piece of a true tie at famous RussianTV-show.

In October 2011, S. Polonsky’s company honored the memory of Steve Jobs: the tower «Federation» was covered by a poster with a portrait of S. Jobs and his words: «The only way to do great work is to love what you do».

S. Polonsky is the author of two books featuring his discourses, reflections and thoughts. The spectrum of his hobbies is wide — from qigong, extreme sports (skydiving, kite surfing, freeride, etc.) to solving logic brain teasers in mathematics and physics. The range of his reading includes issues from the philosophy of M. Montaigne, Descartes, B. Taylor, the creatures of L. Tolstoy to contemporary books on philosophy, psychology, pedagogy, and historic books — from essays and letters of Catherine II to modern statesmen.