Russian Tide
The reader gets a good sense of what it must have been like to be on the front line, making decisions about whether and how to enter the Russian market. Even so-called experts did not know how tough it would be for Westerners to set up a business in Russia, and how even the simplest thing could be a nightmare. As those companies that failed and/or lost a lot of their investment discovered, the learning curve was very steep and the outcome always unpredictable. P&G; showed, though, that it could be done if approached properly. The fact that the story is told from the P&G; perspective is what makes it valuable, since we get a sense of how things seemed to the main players and how their strategies were developed.T. Anthony Jones, Vice President and Executive Director, The Gorbachev Foundation of North America Professor of Sociology, Northeastern University______________________________________I ask myself, “How can an American businessman so capture the essence of Russia and Russian people, as in this book?”  Truth is, John Pepper is no average businessman; unlike many, he sees deeply into people, circumstances and history.“Russian Tide” catapults the reader into the Russian psyche and helps us to feel, along with Pepper, the magnificence of spirit and the hope to learn and succeed at business that ran deep in Russia during the period about which he writes.  John Pepper has done a masterful job of documenting the day-to-day happenings and the Americans and Russian people who stood the test of time when P&G; decided to take on the tough Russian marketplace in the 1990s.His role as leader of this massive operation was critical. Open and energetic, he inspired others with his mission for P&G; and for Russia. Russians instinctively respected him, as did all of us who worked with him. Pepper saw the future first and took P&G; to the top, while embodying the finest of business principles, despite Russia's rugged business environment.Pepper tackles the most difficult decade in Russia's past 50 years. Its people were breaking out of communism and trying, without experience or a plan, to build a radically different society from anything they had experienced in their history.Thanks to Procter & Gamble, under John Pepper's guiding hand and rich soul, this huge international corporation has made an indelible imprint on Russia as it struggles to find its way in this fast-paced world of the 21st century.Sharon TennisonFounder and PresidentCenter for Citizen Initiatives USA/Russia______________________________________This book is a “must read” for all students of global business management.This is an impressive saga about P&G;'s entrance into and expansion in the Russian  market. John Pepper presents a unique case study on the major success of a leading  global company in one of the BRIC countries. His explanation of P&G;'s growth in  Russia over the past two decades of its dramatic transition from socialism to a market economy is full of great examples of innovative decisions and persistence in building from scratch a strong organization. P&G; Russia prospered due to the great respect of John Pepper and other P&G; leaders for Russia’s people, history and culture.We at St. Petersburg University Graduate School of Management are proud to have been part of this success story.Professor Valery KatkaloVice-Rector, St.Petersburg Universityand Dean, Graduate School of Management______________________________________For any future business leader or entrepreneur looking to set up shop in one of the world's fastest-growing economies, Russian Tide is de rigueur reading – a roadmap for business success. John Pepper’s book, which chronicles the P&G; story in Russia, is a compelling case study and a primer on building market share in an emerging economy.Long before economists and corporations began touting the benefits of doing business in Russia, John Pepper was laying the foundation of a multibillion dollar business, one consumer product at a time. It was a bold strategic move, one that is reaping enormous benefits for P&G; today.John Pepper succeeded spectacularly where so many have failed, and one of the reasons for his success is simply this: He understood that when it comes to conducting international business, culture matters.Dezsö J. Horváth, PhD, CMDean & Tanna H. Schulich Chair in Strategic ManagementSchulich School of Business, York UniversityMember, International Advisory Board, St. Petersburg University Graduate School of Management______________________________________John Pepper has written a fascinating account of how P&G;'s unique organization-building strategy guided its successful entry into the dysfunctional economic environment of post-Cold War Russia. As always, people skills trump corporate resources in overcoming setbacks, currency devaluations and enormous cultural differences.Most of all, this book captures the essence of P&G;'s recipe for global success – understanding and serving the needs of local consumers with high-quality products they can afford.Edwin Artzt Chairman and CEO, retired P&G;______________________________________An amazing story of a performance-driven and values-led group of P&Gers; entering Russia against all conventional wisdom – way too early and in a joint venture with a university – and creating one of the greatest business successes P&G; has ever seen.Wolfgang Berndt Executive Vice President, Retired P&G;