Sergei is on the way up. He is our man in Russia, responsible for running oilfield operations in the countries that once formed the Soviet Union. The business operates by means of a complex network of ‘country managers’, ‘product line chiefs’ and ‘division heads’, but in this part of the world, all reporting lines ultimately lead to Sergei, who sits at the apex of the hierarchy. Because of sanctions against Russia – which mean that US citizens can have only extremely limited involvement with Sergei’s domain – he has much more autonomy and power than his peers in other regions. And this level of responsibility seems to agree with him. He is big and broad and handsome, with a square jaw and cornflower blue eyes, like a Red Army hero; and he has a reputation for ruthlessness, for aggressive business practices and for driving his troops to the limit in pursuit of a profit.
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posted 1985 days ago