Alexander Izosimov isn't one to let opportunity slip by.

Russia's privatization in the early 1990s gave young, bright people like Izosimov a chance to excel in business. He grabbed it — working for consultancy McKinsey & Co. and candy maker Mars.

Then he leapt on VimpelCom, (VIP) the fast-growing wireless company, and now steers it as chief executive.

"Life is like a train that passes in front of you," Izosimov told IBD, sounding more like a Russian novelist than a 43-year-old CEO.

"You need to recognize your car, which is your opportunity, and jump onto that car. It's taking calculated risks that breeds success."

Preparation is key to being ready when opportunity strikes, he says.

"That's what education and experience give you," he said. "You need to invest in your own education and development. And you need drive and energy in order to make that jump (to fast-moving firms)."

Russia's path to economic reform has swerved.

At A Crossroads

A financial crisis hit in 1998. Russia devalued the ruble and defaulted on debt. Izosimov and family-owned Mars faced big decisions. Such as: Should it stop production in Russia? Either way, it seemed Mars could lose money.

"It was very difficult to act in that situation," recalled Izosimov, then Mars' general manager for Russia.

He added: "John Mars told me that a crisis is when you don't know what to do, when you don't really know what's happening. In that situation you need to clarify what the options are as fast as you can. Once you've acquired enough information to interpret the situation, the crisis is over."

Mars briefly suspended chocolate production at its plant in Stupino, near Moscow. Since Mars obtained most raw materials locally, it was shielded somewhat from the ruble's devaluation.

The candy maker's factory soon resumed production.

Crisis management seems to come naturally to Izosimov. He played chess like many bright Russian kids. The game taught Izosimov mental discipline, he says.

Izosimov isn't the kind of manager who goes with gut instinct. "I'm much more of a facts, number, analysis type of person," he said.

Before Russia's political picture cleared from the gloom of communism, Izosimov seemed focused on an academic career.

Born in 1964, Izosimov grew up in lightly populated Yakutia in Siberia. Izosimov's parents were geologists who explored for raw materials in Yakutia, endowed with reserves of oil, gas, gold and diamonds.

In winter, the area was nearly the coldest place on Earth, with temperatures hitting minus 50 degrees.

The harsh climate and occasional food shortages forged close relationships, Izosimov says.

"It's a demanding experience," he said. "It creates a camaraderielike feeling among people. People have to stick together."

His early years in Yakutia influenced Izosimov's later management style.

Izosimov says simply giving orders or imposing decisions — the old Soviet way of getting things done — isn't the right approach.

He tries to be a motivator, to nudge people through persuasion.

"My natural preference is clearly for collegial decision-making and teamwork," he said. "That goes back to my childhood."

Izosimov studied math and physics in Yakutia's schools. At 17, he left for Moscow's Aviation Institute.

There, Izosimov studied computer software and engineering. He graduated with a master of science degree in 1987. He published a book on computer software.

Russia, meanwhile, was changing fast. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev announced that the Soviet economy needed reform. Four years later, the Berlin Wall crumbled.

Izosimov was still a doctoral student during that revolutionary moment. He knew the time was right to reach out beyond the Soviet Union.

Izosimov was familiar with AIESEC, an international student organization, from a trip to Yugoslavia. In 1989, he set up a chapter at the Moscow Aviation Institute.

Then Izosimov started a student exchange program between the Soviet Union and Israel. The two countries had no formal diplomatic relations, making the task tough.

Izosimov's organizing activities caught the eye of McKinsey. The consultancy used AIESEC's network to recruit talented students.

In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and in October that year, Izosimov took a job with McKinsey and headed to Stockholm, Sweden.

"It was curiosity about living abroad and discovering that forbidden fruit for myself," Izosimov said. "I barely knew what (corporate) profit was back then. I was a child of the Soviet era."

Izosimov read up on the business world, corporate cultures and financial markets. And he continued his education, earning an MBA degree from INSEAD, an international school in France, in 1994.

"Coming from a closed society, he had to explore the world," said Michael Obermayer, Izosimov's boss in Stockholm and now a World Economic Forum managing director. "The world looked like a puzzle to him. He had bits and pieces, but he hadn't filled in the puzzle yet."

Izosimov soaked up all that a big consultancy like McKinsey could offer. Izosimov says his McKinsey years helped him later at Mars and VimpelCom.

"Consulting helps you zoom into what matters and communicate it," Izosimov said. "It fuses analysis and the power of communication. You need to isolate the root causes of a problem, communicate that to a client and convince them to embrace a solution."

Izosimov helped McKinsey open its first Russian office, in St. Petersburg.

In 1996, he left to join Mars, which had expanded into Russia a few years before. Izosimov says career moves should be weighed carefully.

"I always apply a similar analysis. Does it open more doors for me? Does it increase options later on? Or does it close doors and narrow you down?" he said.

To Mars And Beyond

In Russia, Mars sold M&Ms, chocolate bars, pet food and Uncle Ben's rice. Izosimov honed his marketing as well as financial skills at the food company.

Mars was a pioneer of media advertising in Russia to create consumer demand. "Mars is a brand-driven company," Izosimov said. "I learned a lot there."

He put his sales know-how to good use when he joined VimpelCom as CEO in 2003.

VimpelCom's Beeline brand was already well-known in Russia. Izosimov improved on that branding by creating a yellow-and-black-striped corporate logo.

VimpelCom has grabbed a share of Russia's booming cell phone market. It has 53 million subscribers in Russia and nearby countries.

The wireless firm's owners have feuded on expansion into Ukraine, and Russia's political climate has made it rough to navigate the country's telecom regulation laws.

It helps VimpelCom to have Izosimov's steady hand.

"He has an optimistic outlook, but is still relatively cautious in decision making," Obermayer said. "He'll ground himself in what he understands analytically. That's no small thing, because it's always a shifting environment in Russia. He's been in the middle of some strong winds."
BY REINHARDT KRAUSE