Tariko Fires Russian Standard Topper
Once more, a foreign manager and Russian business owner have had irreconcilable differences. Carlo Radicati, head of Russian Standard Vodka, has been fired by owner Rustam Tariko, just a year after starting the job. Sources say the source of conflict was that Radicati was given little managerial freedom. Either Tariko or his appointees controlled areas of the business that formally should have been responsible for. Russian Standard Vodka executives say Henrik Poppe has been named acting head of the company.
Radicati joined Russian Standard Vodka in April 2007, after working in various positions at Martini & Rossi (now Bacardi-Martini) for more than 20 years. He had been head of the company’s Russian division since 1997. Tariko and Radicati had been acquainted since 1994, when Russian Standard became the distributor for the Bacardi-Martini Group in Russia. Tariko has a difficult history with his foreign workers. In 2001, he invited Dane Jan Ankersen to direct Rust, Inc., the distribution arm of Russian Standard Vodka. Ankersen lasted less than half a year there. Last winter, Tasos Frangou, who came to the company with Radicati, was fired.
Observers say problems with foreign executives arise frequently in Russia. “Giving control over a business to a hired top manager is a painful process for an owner,” commented Winner Partner managing partner for personnel Grigory Okun. “And of the manager is an expat, the difference in mentality only makes it harder.”
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All the Article in Russian as of July 07, 2008
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