What will be the growth points for the economy and managers of the future? What qualities should a leader in business and government have in the next 10 years? How to teach what in business schools now?

These and other questions were discussed by the participants in the plenary session of the “Management of the Future” conference, which has been held at the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University for 11 years.

 

At the Mikhailovskaya Dacha campus, students from all over Russia met with the representatives of government authorities, the scientific community and large corporations. The business program was opened by the discussion “Russian Economy: Global Challenges and Local Solutions. The look of the young."

 

The moderator of the plenary session, Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Board of VTB Bank, Director of the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University, noted the importance of the diversified development of future managers, which is necessary for successful work in the conditions of economic transformation.

“I am happened to represent two communities at once: business represented by VTB Bank and education as the director of GSOM SPbU. Together with the largest Russian companies that are on the board of trustees of the Business School: Rosneft, Severstal, Russian Railways and many others, we want life in our country to change for the better. And the Business School is the locomotive of such changes,” noted Olga Dergunova. — At such events as the “Management of the Future” conference education meets business, new ideas arise and are brought to life. It is important for us that such things happen regularly, because students are the future leaders of Russia, who will have to change the world for the better tomorrow.”

 

The speakers of the panel session were graduates of GSOM SPbU: Deputy Director of the Department of Budget Planning, State Programs and National Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia Arkady Khachaturyan, Deputy Director of the Federal Fisheries Agency Andrey Yakovlev and Head of Relations with Government Authorities, TVEL (Rosatom) Leila Javadova. As well as Vadim Kovalev, Advisor to the General Director for interaction with government authorities and sustainable development of the Ural Steel company, and Vera Shtokailo, General Director of the Center for Industrial Development of the Leningrad Region.

The session participants shared their views on growth areas of the Russian economy.

Thus, Arkady Khachaturyan presented national projects as the drivers of economic development. They cover social and transport infrastructure, science and technology, small business, and other important areas that contribute to the development of regions. Thus, among the currently key regions for infrastructure development, the speaker noted the Arctic, the Far East and the Kaliningrad region.

 Andrey Yakovlev shared his opinion on the growth points of the fishing industry and noted that the main vector of development in it is the rational use of natural resources and support for Russian production. Support for investment activities in the fishing industry has become an effective tool in this direction.

 An important area of work for state corporations such as Rostat is now people and the creation of comfortable infrastructure for them, said Leila Javadova. Using the example of a project to modernize closed cities, cities where Rosatom operates, she demonstrated the special attention of business and the state on staffing the economy.

 

The participants in the discussion agreed: in modern conditions, growth points for the Russian economy are not only the possession of the latest technologies and the development of government programs, but also the formation of a strong community of like-minded people and professionals. In all industries, from the nuclear industry and the development of single-industry towns to fishing and shipbuilding, positive transformations are driven by people with competencies and ambitions who lead to results.

 So, what skills do modern managers need to have in order to be successful in the next 5-10 years?

 Among the key skills, experts named, first of all personal qualities from the soft skills category. This is not only the ability to work with information, formulate your thoughts and build communication, but also a broad outlook, determination, self-confidence and even such a non-obvious skill as empathy. It is also important not to approach work formally, to feel “in your place,” to understand your goals and to be actively involved in the company’s processes.

At the end of the discussion, Olga Dergunova addressed the audience of future leaders with parting words. She formulated the secret of success: behind any idea there must be implementation — it means the project, its deadlines, goals, KPIs and ultimately the result.

 

A striking example is the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University,  where the conference participants gathered.

“It is important to set a goal and clearly understand the vector along which you are moving. Thus, GSOM SPbU set itself the goal of becoming a global international business school 30 years ago. In 2021, we entered the top 1% of business schools in the world, and it happened thanks to people who set goals and achieve results,” noted Olga Dergunova. — Conditions and views on education are changing, but basic disciplines, creativity and soft skills will always be needed as a necessary condition for the existence of humanity. Yes, the notorious ChatGPT will write the text for us, but we still have to evaluate its correctness.”

 

Broadcast of the plenary session “Russian Economy: global challenges and local solutions. The look of the young" The “Management of the Future” conference is a platform for interaction between talented students and the largest Russian companies.  The conference “Management of the Future” has been organized by students of the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University for more than 10 years and annually attracts the largest companies in Russia to participate.  In 2023, based on the results of the selection process, more than 100 students and graduates from all over Russia took part in the conference at the modern suburban campus of GSOM SPbU “Mikhailovskaya Dacha”.  The theme of the Future Management Conference in 2023 is “Navigating a world of change: global trends and local solutions.” In an era of rapid change, the conference's mission is to help young people navigate their future careers by providing relevant information, skills and tools.