I Annual Summit SSE Russia

1. What has changed since your graduation from School?

2. Tell a story about the person you met at school that impressed you the most.

Nikolay Zhirnov (EMBA4)

1. During those 9 months well known to all moms and dads many changes have taken place. You can certainly say a new man was born. My geographic residence has changed from St-Petersburg to Moscow. The reason was as usual – job change. First, from the 1 of March my position inside Wrigley has changed from Manager, St-Petersburg to Divisional Manager in Moscow. I am in charge of one third of Russia. Later starting with April 1 the changes became more dramatic:

My industry changed from FMCG to sport retail, I changed company from Wrigley Russia to Sportland, Russia My position changed from Division Manager to General Director.

The facts of change are numerous – you can write an article on that. My theoretical knowledge from the EMBA is undergoing an active transformation process into the final product through the distillation of business realities. Anyway, it is all up to what has solidified as an interim byproduct.

What is much more important is that life started developing along a more dynamic and interesting spiral: new people, new knowledge, new horizons, new challenges and already new achievements. All this creates an interest in studying new things and moving towards your goal. Also my own baby is 9 months older now. He changes much faster and MORE dramatically than me. By developing and growing he changes me as well. And those mutual changes are most important in my life. The sky is the limit!

2. This is a good question because it is the most complicated. I am impressed with 2 types of people: those whose thoughts I find interesting for further discussion; those whose actions can be examples for me.

The concentration of such people at School is amazingly high both among the students/graduates and teachers/ staff. To single out one person seems to be very complicated as it would be not right for everybody else.

Pavel Mironov (EMBASM1)

1. I began active work on creating my own business dedicated to the construction of loyalty systems– quite a new direction in consumer marketing.

2. To speak of School teachers – too many have impressed me. Obviously the whole School atmosphere is about collecting so many wonderful people in one place. I could of course single out Rita, Andreas Lilienberg who gives me constant support and advice in all my enterprises. Per-Olaf Nikevist shared with us a lot of creative energy, delivering us a course at the next-to-last module.

Sergey Shtern (EMBA4)

1. I suddenly had a lot of free time and self confidence in my life! 2. The people who impressed me could not be counted in one or two. To speak of professors – those are Thomas Gad and my favorite professor – Rita Adaeva. To speak of students – I am overwhelmed with the acquaintance with many people from my group. But most of all I am impressed with Anuta Lenskaya – I have rarely seen such a frighteningly complete personality. The best story about her – is when she asked those professors who think that they have an answer for any question. She asked them – tell me, why 2 years ago everybody, everybody wore Gucci… and now – everybody is wearing Dolce & Gabbana????

Alexander Rezanov (EMBA4)

1. My life has really changed – I am more successful in doing what I planned. Frankly I started thinking in a different way as well. Well, not like those people who were not happy enough to study in a wonderful school like this together with the wonderful people and of course tutors. I spend less time with my family now, which makes me sad but I think the game is worth the burnt candles at whose light I studied the science of conquering. It became easier for me to win a victory as well. I became wiser and more solid. I can take a risk but reasonably.

2. It doesn’t seem right to single out somebody you had studied together with during those 2 years. Frankly speaking I was much excited with the female half of our group that yielded to none of us men. I would like to point at any of the girls separately as I had a possibility to work in the same group with them. They have got some ardor not always possible to understand. It was very helpful in my studies. They made me excited with their responsible sportive attitude to our activities, I got with it and it was a success. Some kind of muddle, but nevertheless I hope to be understood correctly.

Igor Goldobin (HR5, EMBA2)

1. What have changed since I left the school? The changes were great. The studying was too academic and I didn’t think that much of what we were taught I would have to use subconsciously in real life situations. It helps you to live and move forward. Which makes me very glad. I experienced dramatic changes in my career. On entering the school I had a stable National Sales Manager position at Vena joint-stock company. After graduation I was moved to a “risky” position of a General Director of a major international logistics company.

2. I want to quote my wife’s words, she says – The school turns you from normal people into people who are constantly searching! And in a way she is right!

Vadim Perchun (EMBA5)

1. So, since entering the School, I:

- changed my job and am thinking of doing it again; - forgot what weekends are like when you don´t have to study all the time; - I have new friends; - I have gotten to know several bawdy places in Piter; - sometimes I have such clever thoughts that I get frightened by them.

2. I would single out Carl Fey, who made a profound impression on us by his professionalism and ability to get his knowledge over to us, simple-minded people. And he did it with pleasure and enthusiasm.

Pavel Brodov (EMBA5)

1. I have changed jobs twice through promotion. I started to see business with new eyes. I understood that top management are people like you and me, that they read the same books, and some of them even had the same education. I felt sure enough to head any business of any scale.

2. Professor Gordon Redding (different species and types of capitalist formation genesis theory). He reminded me of a deceased professor of St- Petersburg State University Gumilev (ethnogenesis theory), prof. Olderogge (am charistics) and prof. Boris Piotrovsky (Ancient East), whose lectures I was happy to attend. Same encyclopedic knowledge, same scientific approach to the problems.

Dmitry Plastinin (EMBA3)

1. Everything changed in a similar way to V. Safanov’s essay in U-Journal. Over a stable job in Wrigley’s I have chosen to start my own business, where only your imagination can limit your freedom and your responsibility grows only proportionally to your liberty. Truly, “Freedom is the need realized”. I suddenly felt I want to do more and that I can do more, that it is much more interesting not to stay inside some huge business process but to do a real business which is probably going to change our world.

2. Carl Fey. I was most impressed with the fact that Karl found himself in Russia not because his fate led him but because of his conscious choice – it was just interesting. In these conditions Carl hasn’t lost himself, was the most interesting personality and a bright teacher with a strong charisma. And he didn’t feel overly proud of his success, and being my tutor for my diploma project he was always ready to listen to my side and gave me wellreasoned arguments. Good luck and further success to you, Carl!

Dmitry Solopov (EE3)

1. I started to think in a different way, more strategically I would say. It led me both to temporary mistakes in our company’s activities and to big breakthroughs.

2. Vladimir Platonov, it seems. Amazingly intelligent person giving an example of the spirit’s victory over substance.

Robert Polonsky (EE3)

1. In the life after the School my whole view of life has changed, the circle of my acquaintances has widened, my ambitions have grown more. But what is more – there appeared an assurance in your own actions and goals. I hope more specific results are coming soon.

2. There have been a lot of people at the School able to impress you even among the students but if we have to single out somebody special – that would be Vladimir Platonov (To my opinion – a real hero).

Yegor Altman (ÅÅ3)

1. Business processes are more clear to me now. The approach to new and already running projects have changed – we are more customer oriented now. A lot of new friends. New projects with co-students.

2. There are a lot of people like that both among the teachers and the students. But I would like to mention especially Rashid Vermeyev, Sergey Zarazhaev, Robert Polonsky, Sasha Feygelman and Andrey Filev. Among the tutors – Vassiliy Dermanov, Rita Datskaya and Vladimir Platonov.

Irina Didenko (ÅÅ1)

1. Having gained confidence in my actions and plans as a result of my studies after School graduation I started to create a Cash and Carry nchain in the Far East. It is possible to say that I haven’t changed my occupation because I used to manage and I still manage an enterprise, only now I started working wider and it looks like I am going to become an expert in construction although I didn’t plan it. We are finishing the second large-scale shop, and are planning to open another five soon. Life makes its own alterations.

2. Two people from the group made a strong impression on me – Andrey Ohapkin and Boris Frolov. I don’t think I have enough time to write stories about them, I am sorry. Probably this answer will suit you.

Mikhail Voronin (Branding2, EE2)

1. The School is a sect. My head is so defogged that those people who don’t speak those things which were told me are seen as idiots!!! It is terrible. In general, I can call myself a profy not only in events but also I can keep up the conversation in other fields thanks to School. I came to the School with a turnover of 15000 conventional units and now – more than 500 000 in half a year. THANKS!

2. Many guys have. I am generally fond of collecting successes when you create an empire from zero point. But the number 1 example for me is Zhenia Beliaev. 27 years old, 5 years in the company, one of the leaders. Worldwide sales. SUPERIO! Mark Kostromin surprised me: he created a system which works without him. Ania Matveeva – everybody knows everything. And those who haven’t studied at school. Max Nogotkov – first place. Cool!!! Respect!

Alexander Vyatkin (EMBA5)

1. Many things have changed in my life during the last 1.5 years. I have seen free people, much more free than I was, I saw people who are doing their job and putting their heart and soul into it in our difficult conditions and I liked it very much. I met people who are much more responsible towards their life than me and are doing their best to get the most out of it. As a result I became more liberated in my actions.

2. Sven Hamrefors is my person, starting with the idea of “discover your prospects and your fortune will smile upon you” at first lectures, discussions on the search for the meaning of life in the sauna, market strategies and much, much more.

Alexander Feygelman (ÅÅ3)

1. Most important the quantity of my true friends has changed. Now, quite a long time has passed since our graduation from the School, so you can say without a doubt that those are not just school friends. We meet, communicate, we feel interested together. It is the School’s “fault” that we’re speaking a common language. I don’t want to talk banalities but school has made a big, expensive and – it is the most important – beautiful diamond necklace out of our group.

2. I tried hard to find such a person but frankly I didn’t succeed. There are far too many new superinteresting original intelligent people!!

Maxim Rogalsky (EMBA6)

1. In my life after entering the school nothing special happened yet but I have a feeling that you can expect certain changes this year already. Communicating with my School colleagues improved my sense of self-worth and made me think of the need for change and further development. We’ll see.

2. It is hard to single out somebody special. Almost all colleagues, many teachers and invited speakers impressed me. Frankly, I didn’t have time enough to communicate with all my colleagues but I am sure to discover a few more “stars” in the group. So unfortunately I cannot answer your question directly – there is too much I am impressed with.

German Chernykh (EMBA6)

1. Your ideology changes, your appraisal becomes more critical/ selfcritical, you have a wish to put your knowledge into practice.

2. I wouldn’t have singled out somebody special. All the participants impress you, you can see it with the flow of time, when the group has had a chance to get to know each other better. Nevertheless I would like to go into detail concerning Mikhail Odintsov. In my occupation I cooperate with several major enterprises and I understand very well what it is to manage several plants. The example is truly bright when the lack of experience was compensated for by the wish to work. Which, as we can see, helps in some situations. I have to point out that there were similar examples in our group.

Viacheslav Semenihin (HR2)

1. Before the School I worked in sales at Pepsi. The school gave me a wider and more complete look at the work of a commercial enterprise – it became easier and more understandable to work with large- and small-scale partners, to prepare and conduct new projects, to plan and manage resources, I gained a new circle of acquaintances – School graduates with whom you can discuss things. Due to this it was pretty easy to go up the career ladder. I had a successful career at Mars. Now I work for the major beer company in Russia. My position is in strategic sales development. But I have not lost the vision of business as an entrepreneurial endeavor.

2. I am in touch with many graduates and employees of the School especially since my office is across the street. I take place in the activities organized and conducted by the School no less than 3 times a year. I meet my School acquaintances in Sweden, Finland, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, England, Moscow and Yaroslavl, at the airports and in the night clubs, at conferences and in the fitness clubs. I do not want to single out somebody special. There are too many wonderful people, each of whom is worth a good story no matter if they studied or are working here.

Alexandra Starkova (HR4)

1. I have changed jobs twice, got married, gave birth to a daughter, studied at the President’s program, tried to start Spanish courses twice… The main thing – I myself have changed. I got older and I became boring. While you’re studying – you’re in an active form, you get acquainted, you play, you study. And now everything is stable, steady and wellcoordinated. I like it as well, but I remember the past with pleasure. There is much to remember!

2. There are several people like that. Part of the staff have amazed me strongly and continue to amaze me. Such outstanding personalities as Krister Norr, Elena Vasilievna Sidorenko and Ludmila Vasilievna Mourgulets are much more than just worth mentioning. I am ready to study again because of them. All of the students amazed me. But probably most of all – Dmitry Sorokin (EMBA1). He is my husband. The story is quite easy: Dima is a philologist; his speciality is Norwegian. Of course at the time of entering the School he was not working in his speciality. I suggested we could enter SSE together and he agreed with little enthusiasm. He passed his entrance exam brilliantly, accomplished the Hans Rauzen programme and later EMBA1. After graduation he started his own business and has coped well with this hard task since then. What is more – his business partner Igor Naidenov used to be his School groupmate. Dima gained a lot of wonderful friends at School and a reputation of a cheerful and open person. I am very proud of him.

Eugeny Terukov (HR5, EMBA2)

1. In order of importance: Level of responsibility. I got married and now I have a wonderful daughter. Self-actualization. I started my own business (Undergone a qualitative change from hired staff into the businessman/owner). Quality of communication. I am surrounded by outstanding people I can learn a lot of things from. Quality of life/ Welfare. My income grew several times which led to a change in modes of consuming. I could start investing.

2. Ilya Cheredin. A man with a resolute will to live summed up with the amazing speed of taking solely the right decisions. Those qualities have literally saved his life. The unity of his character isn’t in his statistics but in a permanent movement forward and in looking for the new opportunities.

Ilia Klimakov (HR2, EMBA1)

1. The main thing, I am sure now you can cope with any activity, even without any experience in this or that industry. As for me – I stopped working for Shipping and left for the IT sector. My daughter was born, she is two and a half years old already. There wasn’t anything more important than that.

2. I was most impressed with 2 people it seems (not to mention my groupmates) – Krister and Rita. What stories could there be? Just it was very pleasing to learn from those people.

Evgeny Novikov (HR4, EMBA1)

1. A lot of time passed since graduation day (2001). The most important variable in this context was starting my own business in 2002. The feeling of independence and big responsibility at the same time, the ability to take decisions yourself – that’s what appeared in my life.

2. Too many people left their impression on me but I would like to single out Kristopher Norr. Krister has broken my idea of education process gained after Soviet higher education institutions. With his creative approach he showed that the study can be an interesting process and that a tutor does not necessarily have to be puffed up or to have a distance from the students.