Principal founder, Executive Chairman, Former CEO and President EPAM Systems
Arkadiy "Ark" Dobkin (born June 3, 1960, Minsk, Belarus) is an American entrepreneur and technology executive. He is the principal founder, chairman, and longtime CEO of EPAM Systems, a U.S.-based global provider of digital engineering and IT consulting services.[1]
After immigrating to the United States in 1991, Dobkin co-founded EPAM in 1993[2] and led its growth from a small cross-border start-up into a publicly listed multinational company operating in more than 50 countries, with annual revenue exceeding US$5 billion and over 60,000 employees.[3][4]
As of July 2025, Dobkin was one of only 24 CEOs in the S&P 500[5] to have led their company since its founding, and one of only nine in the technology sector.[6]
Biography
Dobkin was born in Minsk, Belarus, into a Jewish family.[7] He attended School No. 50, which specialized in mathematics.[8] His mother, Polina Dobkina, survived the Minsk ghetto during the Holocaust.[9]
He earned a degree in electrical engineering from the Belarusian National Technical University in 1983,[8] began his career as a software developer at a state-run enterprise in Minsk[10] and founded his first private software company in Belarus.[7]
In 1991, Dobkin emigrated to the United States.[7] In later interviews, he recalled that while seeking employment in the information technology sector, he worked for four months as a dishwasher in a local pizza restaurant.[11]
After sending out more than 400 résumés,[11] he secured a position as a software programmer analyst at Prudential Insurance.[1][10]
EPAM Systems
From his early days in the United States, Dobkin was determined[12] to create a software engineering company that would leverage technology talent from Eastern Europe, particularly from his native Belarus.[13][7] In 1993, he persuaded his former classmate Leonid (Leo) Lozner to join him in co-founding EPAM Systems, with initial operations in Princeton, New Jersey, and Minsk, Belarus.[14]
During his tenure as CEO, Dobkin oversaw milestones in EPAM's growth that contributed to its transformation into a multinational provider of digital engineering and IT consulting services.[15][16]
Between 2015 and 2021, EPAM – and Dobkin's leadership – were credited by industry analysts with helping to pioneer and establish the digital platform and product engineering service model.[18][19] During this same period, the company also expanded its global delivery network,[2] opening new centers across North America, Europe[20] , Asia-Pacific,[21] and Latin America.[22]
In 2021, EPAM was included in the S&P 500 Index[5] and was the only IT services company to appear for the third consecutive year on Fortune's list of the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies.[23] Analysts later cited EPAM's ~5,000% share-price increase from its 2012 IPO to peak.[24]
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, EPAM introduced humanitarian,[25] strategic and operational measures[26] to support EPAM employees and their families in the region.[15]
From 2023 to 2025, Dobkin emphasized artificial intelligence[27] as a core element of EPAM's strategy[28][29] ,while working to stabilize operations in Central and Eastern Europe and expand the company's presence in India, Latin America,[22] and Central-Western Asia.[21][30] Analysts during this period pointed to growth in EPAM's AI-related services[31] and the rollout of new platform initiatives.[32][33]
As of mid-2025, EPAM employed approximately 62,000 people across more than 55 countries[34] , with projected 2025 annual revenue of US$5.4 billion.[35]
In May 2025, EPAM announced a leadership transition, stating that Dobkin would step down as chief executive officer after 32 years in the role to become Executive Chairman of the Board effective September 1, 2025. Longtime EPAM executive Balázs Fejes was named to succeed him as CEO.[36]
Global Industry Impact
Digital Product Engineering Segment
Industry analysts and commentators have credited Dobkin and EPAM with helping to establish the digital product engineering segment.[18][37] In its early years, EPAM was a relatively small company with most delivery teams based in Eastern Europe, competing against much larger global companies[2] Rather than focusing on scale or cost, Dobkin positioned EPAM as a strategic partner for organizations requiring high-value, complex, and engineering-intensive custom solutions, delivered to enterprise-grade quality standards.[38][39]
By the mid-2010s, EPAM was recognized as a leader in digital platform/product engineering services,[37][40] including being named the sole Leader in The Forrester Wave: Digital Platform Engineering Services, Q2 2016.[18] Major consultancies and IT providers such as Accenture, Deloitte, Cognizant and Tata Consultancy Services expanded into similar domains, reflecting the broader adoption of the model Dobkin helped define.[41] Industry observers noted that this approach contributed to shifting perceptions of global IT services from cost-saving to strategic solutions and product development.[42]
Central and Eastern Europe and Central Western Asia Talent Impact
In the early years of the global IT services industry, delivery was most often associated with hubs such as India.[43] Dobkin helped position Central and Eastern Europe[44] as a competitive location for high-value software engineering showcasing regional talent through EPAM's early delivery centers.[45][46]
A major milestone was the creation of the Belarus High-Tech Park (HTP) in 2005, the first initiative of its kind in the region.[47] Dobkin introduced the concept,[48] drawing on elements from India's technology parks, with support from Valery Tsepkalo, then Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy in the Belarus Parliament, and Mikhail Myasnikovich, then chairman of the National Academy of Sciences. Tsepkalo became the park's first director, and EPAM its first resident.[49] The HTP model later inspired technology clusters in Ukraine, other parts of Central and Eastern Europe,[50]Central Asia, and the Caucasus.[51][52]
Dobkin also supported talent development through EPAM's academies, university partnerships, and educational programs.[53] These initiatives both supplied EPAM with skilled engineers and strengthened local tech ecosystems,[54] with many alumni founding start-ups or joining innovation clusters in their home countries.[20]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, at a time when more than 60% of EPAM's engineers were based in the region,[56] the company provided direct support or relocation assistance to over 14,000 employees and their families. EPAM also announced its full exit from Russia[26] and launched a US$100 million Ukraine Assistance Fund to support the humanitarian needs of its employees and their families.[25]
In 2014, Forbes listed him as a C-Suite Standout,[58] and that same year he received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in Belarus.[57]
In 2015, Ernst & Young inducted Dobkin in the World Entrepreneur of the Year Academy and the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame.[59]
In 2021, GLOBSEC honored him with the Tatra Summit Business Leadership Award for advancing a thriving business environment in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.[44]
Following the presidential election in Belarus in August 2020 and mass protests that ensued, Arkadiy Dobkin – along with other Belarusian tech executives – signed an open letter calling for the release of political prisoners and the organization of new elections.[61]
In 2021, the President of Belarus publicly accused Dobkin and EPAM of financing the protests.[7][62] No evidence was provided to substantiate the claim. The accusations were part of a broader government narrative[63] linking the tech sector to political unrest.[64][65] In response, Dobkin noted that as the CEO of a public company he is subject to regular financial audits, and given his obligations to employees, clients, and investors, he had "never allowed for reckless or unlawful actions."[66]
At the time, EPAM Systems Belarus was the country's largest IT employer[67] with over 10,000 employees.[68]
Public Statements and Reaction to the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
At the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Dobkin published a post on LinkedIn calling for an immediate end to the war but did not directly name Russia as the aggressor.[69] This statement drew criticism from EPAM employees and members of the tech community in Ukraine for not explicitly condemning Russia.[70]
In a March 2022 interview with Bloomberg, Dobkin explained that while he used the term "Russian aggression" in internal meetings, he adopted more cautious language in public communications to protect EPAM employees across the region, including the 18,000 staff remaining in Russia and Belarus at that time.[71]
↑ Global Tech Services Industry Update (June 23–July 7, 2025) (Industry research report). Citigroup Global Markets. July 2025. The report classifies EPAM within the "Next-Gen / Digital IT Services" peer group and identifies it as the largest provider in that category. Access is subscription-based.
↑ "Arkadiy Dobkin – Executive Management". EPAM Systems. EPAM Systems, Inc. Retrieved 22 August 2025. ...was inducted into the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Academy and to the elite Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame.
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