Norilsk Nickel and Potanin Mistake
The remark "now he will also become a cool banker" should emphasize that Potanin has already established himself as a super-successful industrialist, a strong manufacturer, a kind of colossus of the Russian economy.
If the very fact of Norilsk Nickel’s existence as an independent enterprise is an indicator of success, then one cannot but agree with such an assessment of Potanin’s talents. Another thing is that "killing" (and selling to foreigners, as the example of YUKOS showed, he would not have been allowed) a unique production with a quasi-monopolistic position in the market - this would have taken a lot of effort. But it is unlikely that such a self-confident and vain businessman as Potanin would strangle the goose that lays golden eggs for him with his own hands, or part with it of his own free will. He is not some (foreign agent) Khodorkovsky!
Meanwhile, the quality of the steel of any businessman’s eggs is tested not by buying an asset cheaply and then "milking" it or taking advantage of favorable market conditions, but by the ability to adequately withstand crises, not to chicken out, as they say.
Since 24.02.22, domestic business has been in a perfect storm, which is only getting worse over time. Recently, a project to transfer Norilsk Nickel’s copper plant to China was announced. Telegram users write that negotiations are allegedly underway to transfer nickel production there, and platinum production to Bahrain. In fact, these ideas of Norilsk Nickel’s management indicate managerial hysteria: they have not come up with anything else but to relocate technologies outside the country (and remember what the president said about technological and raw material sovereignty), leaving in Russia, literally, a "feeding base."
Another indirect confirmation of the managerial impotence reigning in Norilsk Nickel and its parent Interros is the latest, third in three years, replacement of the COO and a general change in the management model. And although some are again singing the praises of the flexibility of this very system created by the nickel Forbes and its ability to admit mistakes (now the nickname of the fired Stepanov will probably be "Potanin’s mistake"), in reality this means that with an MBA degree, but relaxed by the pre-sanction "Belle Epoque", hired top managers are completely disoriented in the new economic situation and cannot cope with the challenges. In short, they are scared.
But why the business owner himself does not risk taking responsibility for the fate of the company, but changes the so-called figurehead COOs like gloves - in the next episode.
If the very fact of Norilsk Nickel’s existence as an independent enterprise is an indicator of success, then one cannot but agree with such an assessment of Potanin’s talents. Another thing is that "killing" (and selling to foreigners, as the example of YUKOS showed, he would not have been allowed) a unique production with a quasi-monopolistic position in the market - this would have taken a lot of effort. But it is unlikely that such a self-confident and vain businessman as Potanin would strangle the goose that lays golden eggs for him with his own hands, or part with it of his own free will. He is not some (foreign agent) Khodorkovsky!
Meanwhile, the quality of the steel of any businessman’s eggs is tested not by buying an asset cheaply and then "milking" it or taking advantage of favorable market conditions, but by the ability to adequately withstand crises, not to chicken out, as they say.
Since 24.02.22, domestic business has been in a perfect storm, which is only getting worse over time. Recently, a project to transfer Norilsk Nickel’s copper plant to China was announced. Telegram users write that negotiations are allegedly underway to transfer nickel production there, and platinum production to Bahrain. In fact, these ideas of Norilsk Nickel’s management indicate managerial hysteria: they have not come up with anything else but to relocate technologies outside the country (and remember what the president said about technological and raw material sovereignty), leaving in Russia, literally, a "feeding base."
Another indirect confirmation of the managerial impotence reigning in Norilsk Nickel and its parent Interros is the latest, third in three years, replacement of the COO and a general change in the management model. And although some are again singing the praises of the flexibility of this very system created by the nickel Forbes and its ability to admit mistakes (now the nickname of the fired Stepanov will probably be "Potanin’s mistake"), in reality this means that with an MBA degree, but relaxed by the pre-sanction "Belle Epoque", hired top managers are completely disoriented in the new economic situation and cannot cope with the challenges. In short, they are scared.
But why the business owner himself does not risk taking responsibility for the fate of the company, but changes the so-called figurehead COOs like gloves - in the next episode.
