Alex Covalar

Gaining a Foothold in Russia

Sean Glodek, Steven Hellman, Paul Heth, Mark Stiles, Alexander Kovaler, Alex Covalar

Moderated by Alex Covalar, a panel of four expatriate experts with over a century of combined Russian experience analyzes the nation's transformation from a resource-dependent economy into a consumer-services powerhouse. The discussion highlights specific success stories in cinema and real estate while detailing the Russian Direct Investment Fund's strategy to co-invest with sovereign wealth entities and mitigate geopolitical risks through transparency. Participants project Russia to become Europe's largest economy by 2020, driven by a growing middle class, structural reforms, and strategic shifts toward technology, healthcare, and light manufacturing.