Dear Friends,
I’m pleased to share with you an exceptional analytical piece concerning Putin and Russia. John Pepper, the author, has served in numerous notable positions and roles, including former CEO and Board Chairman of Procter & Gamble. John’s decision to take P&G to Russia (to both sell and manufacture there) has been a huge success story.
While introducing P&G to Russia, John immersed himself in the country’s history and culture, as well as in the worlds and lives of his Russian managers and staff. He is widely known as a noble American businessman who exudes ethics, integrity and the spirit of “giving back” to the countries in which his businesses have operated.
While John was working in St.Petersburg, he led an initiative to develop a high quality School of Business. He began a funding campaign and obtained the support of the academic leadership at St. Petersburg State University. Thanks largely to his efforts, the city gave the University two all-but-destroyed 19th century palaces for the first buildings of the new School of Management. It was here that my life intersected with John’s work. The project needed a respected US-based 501C3 organization through which to receive donations and pay bills for renovating the two palaces. I was delighted by the concept and invited to sit on the board. CCI became the U.S. NGO for this amazing project––giving me the opportunity to begin a long-term friendship with this remarkable man.