Mr. Felix Blinov, the Managing Director of RWM Capital Asset Management, took part in the conference “Strategies of Russian and Foreign Companies after Russia Joins WTO” organized by the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University together with the School of Management HEC Paris with the aid of the Russian Association of Managers under the auspices of the Ambassador of France in Russia Mr. Jean de Gliniasty. The event took place on October 04, 2012 in the city of Moscow, at the Embassy of France in Russia.
In the process of the conference intended as a dialogue of major business schools and companies of Russia and France the issues of strategy and competitive strength of companies after Russia joining WTO were discussed.
“I am very pleased that I as a representative of the business community and a graduate of the joint MBA program of the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University and the School of Management HEC Paris have been invited to this event and given the opportunity to express my point of view on such a significant and controversial for the domestic economy issue as Russia joining WTO, - says Felix Blinov. – This global process will force both individual companies and the whole industries to reconsider their development strategies. However, joining WTO is the issue which has been discussed in Russia since 1995. This time is enough to quickly adapt to new conditions and many companies have been developing their business strategies for several years based on the possible future impact of joining WTO.
We, RWM Capital Asset Management, from the point of view of our approach to investments, have been taking into consideration this factor for a long time. Being engaged in direct investments, we avoided entering projects or industries unless we realized exactly how they would be affected by Russia joining WTO. Now, when we have already done it, and the rules have become clearer, we can actually calculate risks and in a number of cases to transfer risks in our investment projects risks plan from the “red”, “danger” zone to the “yellow” “warning” zone.
Where companies in respect of which we are acting as investors are concerned, we do not intend to change the business strategy for them as yet. Despite all the heated discussions between supporters and oppositionists of Russia joining WTO it is still unclear how the situation will develop. Only the practical experience of cooperation can reveal that and it will take more than one year. Only then will it be possible to use actual facts and make adjustments in the strategy of portfolio companies.”
