Milos Petrovich is not a first and patronymic, but a first and last name. A Serb by nationality and a cardiologist by training, he headed the Russian business of the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche and in two years brought it from the second ten to the top five.

Western managers are surprised by the amount of time and money that Russia spends on traveling around the country. They don't understand the local scale. Communication is the best way to ensure that everyone understands what needs to be done, how it needs to be done and how quickly it needs to be done. And to be honest, I think this is the only way to deal with space.

In Europe, you see results within three months, or at most six months. When we launched a new drug in Serbia, I could travel around the whole country three times in a year. I always tell my bosses in Basel that the first assessment of the success of a launch in Russia can only be done in a year, and it will finally become clear whether it was done well or not only after two or even three years.

I'm two-thirds manager and one-third doctor. When I had the opportunity to choose between a career as a cardiologist or a manager, I chose the second and I still don’t regret it.

Last year there was a decrease in mortality in Russia. This was largely due to free access to modern innovative drugs. This is quite logical. If patients have access to medicines, they have a chance. No no. It's strange if someone doesn't understand this.

The workload on a manager in Russia is much greater than on any average Western manager. When we communicate with colleagues from our industry or other areas of business, it becomes clear that almost all of them have long working hours. As well as, by the way, the amount of time that a Moscow manager spends in traffic jams is not standardized at all.

Basel, where Roche is headquartered, is home to 300,000 people. You can even get to work there by bicycle. In Moscow, unfortunately, this is impossible. And I have a feeling that everyone here simply doesn’t have enough time for anything. No matter how much I would like the opposite.

The problem with the Russian mentality is that it is customary to think: the “big boss” must give the go-ahead, comment, and advise on literally every issue. Breaking this culture is one of the main tasks. The head of the company is not obliged to resolve issues that relate to spending 500 rubles, or a car that must either be written off or left in operation.

The first steps to changing a company's culture are to make managers take responsibility for what they do. Because many abuse the trust of top management and shift responsibility to senior management. They don't understand that if they don't have their own decision-making skills, they will never become effective managers.

I like people. Of course, there are bad people in the world. But I love everyone and, if necessary, I try to help everyone. After all, I am a doctor. It’s unlikely that I would have chosen this profession if I had thought differently.

I'm a little skeptical about formal education. Yes, I myself have completed a lot of trainings and courses: UCLA, London Business School, INSEAD. But such programs reinforce what you either already know or intuitively feel that you know. For me, the most effective learning tool is success stories. Or vice versa – failure.

Theory helps, but does not create a manager. Experience makes a strong manager. It is important that, gaining it, a person can change countries, working conditions, environment. And of course, discuss your experience with colleagues, subordinates, and superiors.

recorded by Konstantin Bocharsky

Milos Petrovic's principles