VimpelCom is a Russian cellular operator that grew in less than 10 years (1992-2002) from a hypothetical concept, to small family-like company, to $2 billion NYSE-quoted corporation with 5.5 million subscribers on its wireless networks. This case study describes the perfect partnership between the two founders. One was "the professor", Dr. Dimitry Zimin, formerly a department head at the Applied Radio Research Institute, and a cog in the Soviet machine. The other was Augie Fabela II, a very young, yet experienced, American entrepreneur. The case looks at their complementary leadership styles. It also tells the story of how they managed to capture a majority share of the market in Moscow and bring their company to the New York Stock Exchange.
This case can be used to explore the following themes: Formation of business alliances with Russian partners Strengths and weaknesses of Russian business leaders Historical context and current climate for entrepreneurship in Russia
- Entrepreneurship
- Russian entrepreneurs
- Telecommunications in Russia
- Russian business leadership
- Russian business alliances. AR2003
- AR0203
- RD0503
- Corporate Governance
- Value Creation, Strategy and Implementation