_{Serhiy A. Ovcharenko, Managing Director of OSI Food Solutions, Ukraine}

Serhiy is a well regarded and respected figure within the International Food Business. Below is an extract from a recent interview with him in a prestigious Ukrainian magazine

http://statuspress.com.ua/

I worked with Serhiy and his team in November 2011; since then I have maintained a weekly correspondence. His range of interests and knowledge are truely formidable - from management practices to boxing and politics. I'm sure that if you had an interesting question that does not refer to confidential OSI information, that Serhiy would be pleased to discuss management and cultural issues that you feel would benefit from an international perspective.

All questions through me.

THE INTERVIEW

http://statuspress.com.ua/bigman/karera-menedzhera-delovoe-vospitanie.htmlW

Serghiy Ovcharenko, Managing Director of  "OSI Food Solutions", believes that the most important thing to know is - who you're dealing, do not hesitate to ask questions and learn continuously.

He is one of the first Ukrainains to be awarded an MBA .

status_logo.docx

What is the secret of your success?
S. Ovcharenko: Proper upbringing. My parents helped me understand how to act, instilled a desire to always be first and best. It is also important that parents do not let the problems that I have appeared on the course.

 My father, despite the fact that he was an extremely busy man - the director of bridge-building plant, always found time for a convathematics ersation with me. He helped me at the beginning of the new academic year to re-solve all the problems from the maths textbook of during the previous class. Thus showing that we can not leave behind unresolved problems. Besides academic study , I had time to play keyboards in one of the most popular student groups 'Dnipropetrovsk' and boxing.

Also, I was soon sent to work - I began to work in 13 years. During the summer vacation my father forced me to go to the plant, which he  headed;I develop a specialty apprentice carpenter. I was even paid a salary - as much as 40 rubles. Later, however, revealed that his father said half away, so I had no doubt that doing worthwhile. The following year I learned to be a precision fitter, then - concreter.

My parents gave me the choice of what to do after leaving school: to work at the plant, to study at the institute or earn while playing in a band. However, I decided not to break the family tradition and entered the Dnepropetrovsk Institute of Railway Engineers, selecting my family specialization "bridge-building."

Where did you beginyour career?

S. Ovcharenko: After graduation, I got a job as a surveyor in Mostootryad Dnepropetrovsk. In this position, did not stay long, because the dean had invited me to the chair of "Tunnels and Subways" for writing a dissertation. After a while I realized that scientific work does not meet my aspirations, and resigned from the post-graduate, master's passing lows. I decided to go to work on contract to the North.

Why did you choose this option?
S. Ovcharenko: In Western Siberia, been actively building, they needed skilled bridge builders, and they pay well. For three years I have grown in the north to the superintendent, then - to the head area. Make it a career was not difficult if you were a good worker, as many superiors ended contracts, and they came back, and their positions held by those who have had experience in a particular facility.

What is remembered from that period?
S. Ovcharenko: Living in a small town or a closed working village is very specific, you're up and running, and relaxing at home - the weather and the location of the town are not conducive to walks and travel. Constantly seeing the same faces. But I liked it. And there were many curious things. Especially remember how I was wrong and began to build a bridge, 100 meters from the railway of the future. Only two weeks of the surveyors pointed out our mistake and had to quickly move the construction site. Fortunately, we do not have time to do much. But the mechanized column for this time poured about 100 meters of the embankment. While they noted a few days your holiday, we moved our village and the axis of the bridge is 100 meters away, cleared the site in a new place and have begun to actively build support. When the mechanics are back, they had no choice but to move the mound. They swore terribly, but could not do anything. Such a situation was possible only in the Soviet Union, where no one thought the cost of fuel. If I made a similar mistake now, my career would be to put a cross.

Homecoming

Renew the contract?
S. Ovcharenko: Under the contract, I worked until 1990. Then began the disintegration of the USSR, and I realized that I needed to return, while it is still possible, because if it was delayed again, to go with a well-paid jobs in a country where there is chaos, it would be extremely difficult.

When I got home, the situation was not very favorable - there was almost no work. Fortunately for me the bridge was built in Dneprodzerzhinsk, and I went to this part of the master. But six months later resigned as the MBA program began. My father read the newspaper announcement of the set and asked me to try.

Where to teach MBA in Ukraine in 1991?
S. Ovcharenko: In Kiev, was created by the International Institute of Management, a joint program of the Swiss International Management Institute - Geneva and the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. I was interviewed and enrolled in the one-year MBA program. At that time it was a real breakthrough in business education in the former Soviet Union, we are lectured best teachers from around the world were held visiting session of the conference held with the owners and top managers of major international corporations. And all this in 1991. However, it was worth the pleasure of huge money in those days - more than $ 5 thousand I did not have such funds, so we had to seek funding.

Who agreed to help?
S. Ovcharenko: Fees paid Nicholas Bridge Construction, in which I worked. My boss, whom I asked for help, agreed to give money to school, provided that after the end of 10 years, I worked in the unit. I like that, of course, not very much, but there was no alternative. By signing the necessary documents for a year I moved to Kiev. In the first half of the day were required classes - lectures and seminars, and then I went to the computer center. There he taught English and received computer skills. A year later I began to speak in English freely practice and learned to touch-type 250 characters per minute. This is not counting the knowledge and skills in the administration of foreign trade, marketing and management.

How soon began to apply this knowledge in practice?
S. Ovcharenko: After graduating from the program I had to briefly return to the Bridge Construction, but the chief knew that once again forced me to work at a construction site, so do not use the new knowledge I received. Just have a degree I was not interested, it was important to use their newly acquired skills. So we agreed that it lets me "float freely" and I'll be back if I need it in the future of international projects to build bridges.

Arriving in Kiev, took a job at an organization that engaged in the supply of the metal abroad. He became manager of foreign trade and began a career in a new area for me. This work allowed not to lose the skills that I have received in the MIM-Kyiv. In addition, learn to negotiate, right up contracts and conduct business with foreign partners. I worked for a year, but it was enough to plunge into a real business. And yet, I believe that my international management career began only in 1993.

Why not?
S. Ovcharenko: I was invited to the company DuRont, and I moved to Kiev. Experience in international corporations, I at that time was not, but me and three other candidates recommended to the Director of MIM-Kyiv. I went through a series of interviews and became a sales manager for elastomers. Even then realized that I wanted to work in Western companies.

Becoming a Manager

When a person comes to work in the area, which he does not know what the main condition for its success?
S. Ovcharenko: The desire to learn. I have always taught. As was to go to the North, the father called me and said that there is every driller knows more than I do. If you want to become a good specialist, I have to watch them work and asking about all the intricacies. This principle I have always applied. In fact, to thoroughly examine the elastomers in DuPont, it took me about six months. During this time, become so to understand his direction, asked me if I'm not an expert on the rubber. Sales skills have given me in training, who conducted the company DuPont, and communicate with people I knew at all times. After a year or two, I was told to sell in Belarus, then in the Baltic, and in 1996 - in Russia. I received an offer from management to move to Moscow and head of sales throughout the CIS, however, was strongly against the move and managed to convince the boss that I can fulfill its new responsibilities in Kiev.

Why have refused to move?
S. Ovcharenko: I like to live in Kiev, Ukraine, and I do not see any sense to leave. All the more so in charge of the territory from Tallinn to Krasnoyarsk, so that where I live, the leadership is not particularly worried about the main thing - performance. I have met and began a new phase of life - in an airplane. I always traveled on business trips. Schedule was tight, so that any discrepancies could have negative consequences. For example, I once got stuck in the airport of Krasnoyarsk. I could not fly, because my flight was transit Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Moscow, as the plane landed for refueling in Novosibirsk, and not in Krasnoyarsk. That's just the pilots and have changed the route. And I was in Moscow at six the next morning had to wait for a driver to take already in Yaroslavl, and I could not be late. It seemed that this night will not fly away already, but I did not lose hope. A few hours hanging around the airport, cursing in fluent English. I tried to send to the hotel, but I refused to leave. Suddenly, I heard that another landing announce transit flight, which flies to Moscow. He went up to the administrator, but it argued that there is no space. In the end, I was so tormented her with the requirements for me to find an opportunity to depart, that she agreed with the pilots, and they took me into the cabin. So, despite all the obstacles, I still made it to Moscow. It does not matter that flew to another airport, it does not matter that night, the main thing - the goal was achieved. Do not despair and give up, then everything will turn out.

To sustain such a schedule is not easy ...
S. Ovcharenko: Need to be distracted from the work as soon as possible - to read, chat with friends, play sports, music. This helps to quickly restore the operability. I like to work, I live it. Unfortunately, with DuPont had to leave - management decided to organize a joint venture between c and the other Western company to establish an office in Warsaw, Eastern Europe. I offered to move to Poland for permanent residence. But, on reflection, I refused.

What is not happy with the prospect of living abroad?
S. Ovcharenko: I have visited 36 countries, some of them a dozen times or more. He lived abroad for several months. And with confidence I can say that nowhere have I been so comfortable as at home in Ukraine. I have repeatedly offered to work in other countries, but I'm still not going to move. Better than here, I never will, I am absolutely sure.

Stability and prosperity

That began to do after leaving DuRont?
S. Ovcharenko: Search for a job. Set a goal to take a high position in at least a large company. Held talks with British Petroleum, Bayer and Engelhard Corporation. He stopped at the last sentence, but a year later regretted his decision. I have a disagreement with management, and had to leave the company. Then in my life came a little financial crisis - accumulated funds were not many, but a suitable job after the 1998 crisis was not. When I was asked to go to work in Saudi Arabia, I am seriously interested, even went to a meeting with company management. However, ten days in this country enough to realize that this life is not for me, this is not just another country, it's another planet. Although if there was no offer from McCain Foods, would have to agree, despite the fact that I did not like it.

C of this company had better luck?
S. Ovcharenko: Definitely yes. I became president of McCain Foods Ukraine, and served in this position for more than six years. The company - the world's largest producer of french fries. We are selling these goods and retail, and HoReCa, in particular in the "McDonalds". For several years we have also carried out agricultural programs - industrially grown potatoes and assessed the prospects of construction of the plant in Ukraine in its processing.

Unfortunately, for economic reasons, the construction of this facility has been postponed, I was offered a move to England, but the move was not in my plans. So I once again faced with the need to look for work. Fortunately, it was in 2005, the labor market is a shortage of specialists, and I quickly found a new job - became manager of sales and marketing of products for visual communication systems and security in the company 3M.

You are not embarrassed that went on the decline?
S. Ovcharenko: No, for me, the title was not the principal. I reached a point where interesting work is much more important. A new direction, a good team, a fun way of doing business - all this for me more weight than the position and salary. I learned a lot in this company, but the crisis of 2008 and the total cost savings the company has become too expensive for 3M. I had to leave the company, but at that point I already had a relatively stable financial position, and I decided to relax a bit.

They arranged a vacation?
S. Ovcharenko: Yes, he took a short break and started writing a thesis in law. I decided to delve into the intricacies of the implementation of the Lithuanian statutes in Ukraine in the middle of the XVI century. Doing this for about a year and then I was offered a place in the company's "axis of Food Solutions." And I decided it was time to harness oneself active again.

What attracts the work in this company?
S. Ovcharenko: It is interesting to try himself as a leader in food production of meat, I have not had to do this in Ukraine. I continue to learn new things. I hope that my experience and knowledge will be useful to both the company and my country.

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