Gazprom members, such as Chernomyrdin and the Gazprom Chief Executive Officer, Rem Viakhirev, engaged in asset-stripping. Gazprom assets were shared amongst their relatives. Itera, a gas trading company also received Gazprom assets. In March 1998, for reasons unrelated to his activities at Gazprom, Chernomyrdin was fired by Yeltsin. On 30 June 1998, Chernomyrdin was made Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom. When, in June 2000, Vladimir Putin became the President of Russia, he acted to gain control over Russia's oligarchs, and increase the Government of Russia's control in important companies through a program of national champions. Putin fired Chernomyrdin
Gazprom Board of Directors as of 9 August 2015: Former members of the board: Gazprom's management committee as of December 2006: Former members of the management committee: On 5 September 2005, shares of the members of the Board of Directors and Management Committee were: Others have no share. Gazprom is the owner and sponsor of the Russian Premier League football club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and volleyball club VC Zenit-Kazan and Gazprom-Ugra Surgut at Russian Super League. On 1 January 2007, Gazprom also became the sponsor of the German Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 at a cost of up to €25