• Bogdan Panchenko and Ivan Kukarskih – Founders (shot by Glen Ballis)

    With a shared international background and a true ambition to excel in the food and beverage sphere, Ivan and Bogdan struck up a synergetic partnership from day one. In 2013, Ivan founded BB Burgers, which has quickly become one of the most successful burger restaurant chains in Russia. Meanwhile, Bogdan was having his own success becoming a key supplier to the nation’s capital, providing fresh vegetables and fruit from all over Russia.
  • Glen Ballis – Brand chef


    Born in Australia, upon finishing culinary school, Glen worked eight years domestically before moving to Southeast Asia, where he spent the next twenty years fine tuning his trade, before moving to London. In 2006, he was offered a position to open a restaurant in Moscow and he never looked back. From there, he has positioned himself as a business partner with some of Moscow's top restaurants, renowned for their delicious tastes and eclectic styles. In addition, Ballis owns three restaurants in Singapore, which are managed by his son.
  • Elizaveta Yakovets – Marketing


    Graduated from the Higher School of Economics. Since 20 years old has been engaged in marketing in the restaurant field. Having gained experience in a large advertising company, she opened her own agency and in 2018 moved to Lucky Group during their first Margarita Bistro project. Her value is working with mind and heart.
  • Ekaterina Khrokina - HR director


    She began her career in the restaurant business as a waiter's assistant at the age of 18. She graduated from the Faculty of Psychology, the school of wine "Enotria" and later, advancing in her career in restaurants in managerial positions, she received the education of a business coach. Created the LUCKY SKILLS school in 2019 from scratch, when the company had only 2 restaurants.
  • Maxim Gorelik – Chef Bartender


    Has been in the industry for 10 years. He started his career in Krasnoyarsk (2011-2012), then worked in bars in St. Petersburg (2013) with the future founders of the Imbibe bar. In 2014 he moved to Moscow and worked at one of the first Speak Easy in Russia - Jack Rose, then joined the team of Bruce Lee Bar (former Belka Bar), where six months later he became a bar manager at the age of 22. In 2016, he had experience in bar consulting, and at the beginning of 2017 he joined the team of opening the Cevicheria restaurant. In mid-2017, he received an offer to open a new project Margarita Bistro as a bar manager. A year later, he opened Lucky Izakaya Bar, afterwards - Eva and Loro, thereafter he became the chief bartender of the new restaurant group Lucky Group.

    Since 2017 he is also part of the Bacardi - Martini family. Since September 2017, he was the trade ambassador of Bacardi - Martini in Moscow. Since January 1, 2022, he has been the Patron tequila brand ambassador in Russia and Eastern Europe.

    Included in the Top 10 Russian bar managers according to Barproof 2017-2018 and the Top 3 Russian bar managers according to Barproof 2019-2021.

    Now he is a speaker at various restaurant and bar venues in Russia, such as the Roman Toroschin Training Center, Gastreet Show, Moscow Food Academy.

    The ideologist of the educational bar community at Lucky Group - Lucky Bar Skills.

  • Roberto Ravone - Manager


    Roberto graduated in economics and finance from the Università degli Studi Roma Tre in Rome. Worked for Alitalia Airlines for 7 years. Then he moved into the hotel business, working at the 5-star Radisson Es Hotel in the center of Rome. In 2020, he moved to Russia and gained experience as a manager of the Ribeye restaurant, opened the Fresa's restaurant of the Antonio Fresa group. At the end of February 2023, he moved to Moscow and became the manager of the Loro restaurant.
  • Nikolay Vovchinsky - Chef


    He began his career at the five-star Golden Apple hotel, where he moved up on a ladder to a senior chef in a year time. He also worked as a sous-chef at Les Menus and OVO restaurants. In the latter, he revealed the secrets of Italian cuisine and finally fell in love with it.
  • Sergey Kolokhov - Bar Manager


    He started his career in 2011 in Moscow as a waiter in the «Daikon» restaurant, where in 2 years he moved to the position of bartender. As a line bartender, he opened the Remy the kitchen bakery restaurant. After working for a year, he took the position of bar Manager. In December 2019, he became part of the Lucky Group: opened Loro restaurant as a bartender, and two years later, opened Londri restaurant as a Bar manager.
  • Alexandra Efremova - Sommelier


    In the hospitality industry since 2010. In 2016, she began to develop in the wine direction, she was educated in Moscow Enotria. Since 2017, she has worked as a Sommelier in #SibirSibir and Aziatish restaurants in Novosibirsk. In March 2021, she moved to Moscow and joined the Lucky Group team in April. “Wine is not just a drink. Wine is a mood, a history, a philosophy and a way of life. I appreciate the personality behind the wine - it's a huge, painstaking job."