Ratmir Timashev is an entrepreneur, technologist, and leader in higher education. He served as CEO of Veeam, the global leader in cloud data protection that he co-founded in Columbus, Ohio. 

Inspired by his career building software companies, Ratmir is heavily invested in the next generation of innovators—ensuring higher education evolves to meet the demands of AI and the new digital economy. He chairs the Advisory Council of the Center for Software Innovation at The Ohio State University and has been recognized on Columbus Business First’s ”Power 125” list of the most influential leaders shaping the region’s future.

Today, Ratmir co‑runs and chairs Object First, a ransomware‑proof backup‑storage company.  In 2025, he became executive chair and lead investor of Integrail, steering the agentic AI startup’s $10 million seed round. As an investor and advisor in startups across the United States and globe, he’s closely attuned to the latest breakthroughs in software and technology.

Ratmir’s’s entrepreneurial journey began at The Ohio State University, where he completed an M.S. in Chemical Physics in 1996 and met his wife, Angela. With his business partner and friend Andrei Baronov, he launched Aelita Software from his campus apartment, a provider of software management tools for Windows NT administrators that was later sold to Quest Software for $115  million in 2004.  The duo followed with Veeam in 2006, scaling it past $1 billion in annual revenue before a $5 billion acquisition by Insight Partners in 2020. The company today is valued at $15 billion.

A champion of education and technological innovation in the Midwest, Ratmir and the Timashev Family Foundation are leading supporters of The Ohio State University. In 2023, their historic $110 million gift established the Center for Software Innovation. CSI is creating a leading hub for digital innovators and building—opening new opportunities for students and community members to learn, launch careers, and build entrepreneurial ventures.

CSI builds on Ratmir and Angela’s deep ties with the university. In 2020, the Timashev Family Music Building began construction as a state-of-the-art center for artists and musicians. In 2016, Ratmir endowed the Dr. Terry A. Miller Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Chemical Physics, in honor of his mentor and faculty advisor. Ratmir and Angela received the Distinguished Service Award from the OSU College of Arts and Sciences in 2022.

Beyond higher education, Ratmir and the Timashev Family Foundation partners with leading organizations spanning the arts, innovation, and humanitarian aid. The Foundation is quick to respond to pressing needs around the globe—directing funds to the people of Ukraine through efforts led by the World Central Kitchen, funding critical conservation efforts with the Wild Salmon Center, and in several other areas. 

Born to a family of engineers and musicians, Ratmir also holds a master’s in physics from the Moscow  Institute of Physics and Technology. He sits on the Ohio  State University Foundation Board of Directors and is frequently in Columbus meeting with students as an Executive in Residence. The Timashevs live in Connecticut with their children, and Ratmir continues to espouse the mantra that has guided every venture he has built: “Right time, right place, brilliant product.”