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 Germania Gazprom Germania GAZPROM Germania GmbH (), a company registered in Berlin, Germany, is headquarters of a diversified conglomerate, GAZPROM Germania Group, operating in more than 20 countries, and is a 100% subsidiary of the world's largest natural gas company, Gazprom. GAZPROM Germania Group is active in natural gas sales and marketing, trading, exploration and production, as well as in underground storage projects. Companies of the group operate in Europe, USA, Central Asia and Singapore. GAZPROM Germania Group owns shares in: In addition to its main activities of expanding Gazprom's operations in foreign markets, Gazprom Germania Group is an active sponsor