Earlier this month, the International Business Association (IBA) had the privilege of hosting a breakfast chat with Mr. Stuart Lawson, former CEO of HSBC Russia. I was excited about the event, but was afraid that there may be some repetition as I had heard him speak at an IBA event last year as well.
Last year, Mr. Lawson delivered a presentation on business in Russia, followed by a Q&A session and informal chit-chat. Of course, the event was quite informative, but what I remember the most are the valuable pieces of advice, interspersed with candid humor, that he shared. Here are some of the gems from the last year’s events:
- People ask me about my opinion on what shape the economic recovery is in: U, V or W. I say, “It’s a Q”, which means I am as clueless as you are!
- Listen to what people say when they are not on their official seat. The most important conversations are at the coffee machine!
- Career progression curve can follow all sorts of funny shapes, but it should never be linear. Take risks, follow your heart and once you find your passion, stick to it.
After recalling these gems, I knew that I couldn’t afford to miss this event, even if there was bound to be some repetition. However, Mr. Lawson was in no mood of repeating himself. This was a small group meeting, and he wanted the event to be conversational. He started the event with a brief overview of his career. He discussed his experiences in the 11 countries that he has worked in, including a 15-year stint in Russia, where he has worked as the CEO of Citibank, Chairman of Deltabank, Chairman of Bank Soyuz and most recently, CEO of HSBC Russia.
It was truly fascinating to hear about how he helped a Russian billionaire, Oleg Deripaska, start a retail bank from scratch. Next, he talked at length about Skolkovo, a newly opened Russian business school that aspires to compete with top business schools around the world. From his tone and words, you could tell that he is very passionate about this project. He also shared his thoughts on a recent scandal over the removal of a former Moscow mayor . I didn’t understand everything due to lack of background, but I made up for that with a follow-up discussion with other IBA friends. (Shout-out to Victoria Kim, who not only clarified the details, but also helped me write this post.)
During the conversation, Mr. Lawson often talked about the crime, corruption and other problems that he had to face. So one obvious question was what makes him going back to Russia. He told us that even with all these issues, he loves taking the challenges. In US, he perhaps could easily have been an important bank leader, but in Russia, he was working as a game-changer. Yes, he will face some mighty challenges for sure, but I believe that it’s this risk-taking that separates the winners from the rest. By the way, later on, Mr. Lawson will join Skolkovo Business School as Visiting faculty and guess what he will be teaching there? Risk Management!! What better instructor to teach risk-management than a man who has dealt with risk, and succeeded throughout his life!
Overall, this was a great event. We learned a lot about business in Russia, and more importantly, drew inspirations from the way he has handled business challenges. Mr. Lawson promised to come back sometime in the near future and talk to us about his next ventures. We are certainly looking forward to it.
Read the full article: Breakfast with a CEO!