On March 19, GSOM SPbU together with the consulting company Gartner held a seminar to ensure business continuity and employee safety in a pandemic. Participants in the online session were representatives of HR and IT departments of the companies — members of GSOM Advisory Board, the administration of St. Petersburg University, as well as faculty and employees of the School.  

“SPbU and GSOM were among the first in Russia to decide on the transfer of training to an online format. For the first days of working in this format, we have already managed to solve a large number of technological, methodological and communication issues. We are ready to share experience with educational institutions. And Gartner’s international expertise helps to get acquainted with the best approaches in the corporate environment used in the world in today's pandemic and the need for an emergency transition to the remote work format,” said Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, Director of GSOM SPbU. 

“Company managers are required to create conditions in which the business will operate continuously even under quarantine conditions so that employees can receive information on time, be in touch with team members, customers, suppliers and not lose their motivation to work. In the worst case scenario, the company may be faced with the inability to implement key strategic initiatives and projects, insufficient working capital, legal difficulties and reputational risks. Leaders must be prepared for negative scenarios,” Maria Vozhegova, Gartner company partner, said in her speech.