In association with Culture of Business

Russia without tears – a workshop for British exporters

Overview

With Russia in the news in connection with chemical weapon attacks, money-laundering and interference in other countries’ elections, and Western Governments placing new sanctions on Russian companies, you could be forgiven for believing that all business between the UK and Russia has been brought to standstill. With the apparent return of the Cold War, what chance is there for normal commercial relations between our two countries?

Surprisingly, a lot. The sanctions have hit certain strategic industries, and companies in those sectors have had to withdraw or curtail their activities. But by and large, the sanctions have been designed to minimise damage to UK business. In fact, British companies are still trading with Russia, and there are plenty of new opportunities for growth in one of the biggest markets on Europe’s eastern border.

After all, whatever the politics, Russia is a country of enormous natural, and talented human, resources. Apart from the obvious oil and gas and extractive sectors which British equipment manufacturers have been supplying for decades, there are many other emerging sectors where British and Russian business can work together. Successful cooperation is possible, for example in scientific equipment, IT, computer games, pharmaceuticals to mention but a few industries where British companies are doing well.

This seminar will balance out the risks and opportunities of doing business in Russia. From market entry to setting up with a joint venture partner, we will explore the many ways of making a success of exporting to one of the most complex countries in the world. The seminar will be deeply practical, dealing with hiring and managing distributors, setting up a representative office and hiring staff, doing business with government, managing logistics, customs and other challenges. We will, of course, also look carefully at the impact for British exporters of the new political realities and how they impact doing business with Russia.

To ensure that we live up to the title of the seminar, we will conclude with a vodka tasting accompanied by zakuski (Russian tapas).

The seminar will be run by Brook Horowitz, Managing Director of Culture of Business, a management and trade consultancy. A fluent Russian speaker, Brook’s career has focused on Russia for the best part of 30 years. He began working there as an export manager in 1987 with John Crane, a mechanical engineering company, part of Smiths Group. In the nineties, he lived in Moscow for 6 years establishing and developing GE’s consumer and healthcare businesses in the former Soviet Union. For the last 10 years he has worked as a consultant and trainer, bringing Western business practices and management expertise to Russian companies and local government. During the seminar, we will be joined on live video by experts in logistics and human resources based in Moscow.

Workshop schedule:

10.00 Introduction

10.15 Russia: challenges and opportunities

11.00 Choosing your partners

11.30 Break

11.45 Video conference – Getting in

12.45 Summing up

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Video conference – The Human Factor

15.00 Managing risk

16.00 Discussion and conclusions

16.30 Vodka tasting

The Presenter - Brook Horowitz

Brook Horowitz (course and webinar) is a consultant in international trade, and is CEO of IBLF Global, an NGO which promotes responsible business practices in emerging and developing markets. He has worked in many of the emerging markets and was with GE in Russia and Eastern Europe throughout most of the nineties. From 2013 to 2015 he was co-chair of the B20 Anti-Corruption Task Force, a business advocacy group which advises the G20 Group of nations.
 
Brook will be joined, in person or by live video link, by practitioners of business from, some of the world’s most exciting and challenging markets.

Member price - £299 + VAT*

Non-member price - £399 + VAT

*Please note that only Associate, Full and Business Members are eligible for this preferential rate.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

This course is CPD certified - 10 points

Before booking please make sure you read our training course terms and conditions. Booking a place on one of our training courses implies acceptance of these terms.

Dates and locations

To discuss our training courses:
Call +44 (0)1733 404400
Email training@export.org.uk