Founder of anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab to form new company

Aug 9, 2007, 11:47 GMT

Moscow- Eugene Kaspersky, founder of Russian anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab, is to establish a new company in the Kaspersky name and is preparing for a stock exchange listing, board member Vitalij Besrodnych told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa Thursday.

The founder of the Russian company, which has an international reputation in computer security software, is due to head up the new company.

Kaspersky, who had previously been in charge of developing anti- viral software, has let his former wife Natalya Kaspersky go as head of the company.

His former wife is due to take over the leadership of the newly- formed management board of the one-time family business.

With the reconstruction of the leadership structure of Kaspersky Lab, the company is seeking to create the right conditions for a stock exchange listing, according to the reports.

As head of the new company, Eugene Kaspersky will continue his software development role.

The company was mulling a stock exchange listing in the 'forseeable future' and was also considering the purchase of other companies, management board member Vitaly Besrodnyk told dpa.

The company was interested in the acquisition of Western companies with the technology it lacked, he said.

Concrete plans concerning a stock exchange listing and trading locations had not yet been made and the details would have to be decided upon by the board of management, Besrodnych said.