DUKE UNIVERSITY’S FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WANTS TO HEAR FROM COMPANIES IN ATLANTA AND ELSEWHERE IN THE SOUTHEAST THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HOSTING FOR FIVE DAYS RUSSIAN MANAGERS WHO WILL BE ATTENDING EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COURSES IN DURHAM, N.C.
THE FUQUA SCHOOL ALREADY HAS EDUCATED 230 MANAGERS FROM THE FORMER SOVIET UNION AT ITS DURHAM CAMPUS SINCE 1990. A GROUP OF 29 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN MANAGERS ARRIVED ON CAMPUS FOR THE THREE-WEEK COURSE MARCH 6, AND WILL BE RETURNING HOME APRIL 4. MORE RUSSIAN MANAGERS WILL BE ARRIVING IN JUNE AND NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, AND IN MARCH, JUNE AND NOVEMBER OF 1994.
THE PROGRAM’S DIRECTOR IS JEFFREY K. SMITH, WHO HEADS DUKE’S CENTER FOR C.I.S. MANAGER DEVELOPMENT (919) 660-7711. MR. SMITH HAS HAD EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN RUSSIA HAVING SERVED AS THE MANAGER OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC IN MOSCOW FROM 1986 TO 1990 AND DIRECTOR OF THE USSR DIVISION OF BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL IN VIENNA FROM 1979 TO 1986.
AS AN EXAMPLE OF BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS THAT MAY EVOLVE FROM THE FIVE-DAY CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, MR. SMITH CITED SERGEY AKULOV WHO STUDIED AT DUKE IN AUGUST, 1990, AND SPENT AN INTERNSHIP AT RJR NABISCO INC.
DURING THESE EXPERIENCES, ACCORDING TO MR. SMITH, HE BECAME INTERESTED IN THE CONCEPT OF BRANDING PRODUCTS. BACK IN LENINGRAD WHERE HE WAS MANAGING A CIGARET FACTORY, MR. AKULOV READIED THE LAUNCH OF A NEW BRAND WHICH WAS RELEASED AS SOON AS THE CITY’S NAME WAS CHANGED TO ST. PETERSBURG, ALSO THE NAME OF MR. AKULOV’S NEW CIGARET.
BEFORE LONG, R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL INC., AN OPERATING UNIT OF RJR NABISCO INC., PURCHASED THE PLANT FROM MR. AKULOV, AND HIRED HIM AS VICE PRESIDENT FOR MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS). ASIDE FROM HAVING BECOME A MILLIONAIRE, THE BEST NEWS FOR MR. AKULOV MAY BE THAT HE CURRENTLY REPORTS TO RJR’S SWISS OFFICE AND IS PAID IN HARD CURRENCY.
MR. SMITH OFTEN TRAVELS TO RUSSIA WHERE HE CONDUCTS INTERVIEWS AND SELECTS ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE 100 OR SO APPLICANTS SEEKING TO ATTEND THE PROGRAM. THE REVIEW PROCESS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED SINCE ATLANTA BUSINESSMAN J.B. FUQUA ORIGINALLY FUNDED THE PROGRAM WITH A VISIONARY $4 MILLION GRANT IN 1989.
MR. SMITH SAID THAT CANDIDATES ARE SELECTED FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES, AND WITH AN EYE TO THE INDUSTRIAL SECTORS IN WHICH THEY WORK.
THE FUQUA SCHOOL RECENTLY ANNOUNCED FORMATION OF BOTH AN EXECUTIVE EDUCATION CENTER IN ST. PETERSBURG THAT IS TO BE FUNDED BY A $1.4 MILLION GRANT FROM R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO
INTERNATIONAL.