Kiryl – “They should use this opportunity, this network established by SI
Kiryl Apanasevich, born in 1982
Lawyer and partner at Sorainen, Belarus
Management program: December 2008 - May 2009
Swedish host company: Swedish Orphan
Kiryl Apanasevich is full of ideas about how Swedish firms and organizations could use the contacts created by the management program.
“They should use this opportunity, this network established by the SI. They should look into their own tasks, and think about how to utilize the network in order to reach their goals. What I know for one is that they could not find better, more qualified people”, he says.
Kiryl says that it’s often difficult for Swedish firms to find the right contacts when investing abroad, for instance in his home country Belarus. And even when they find reliable contacts, these usually don’t have any special insight into Swedish business culture or expectations.
“It’s a great advantage to have that knowledge as well – and that is something that the participants of the management program have. It will be for the mutual benefit of everybody”, says Kiryl.
Being one of the founding partners of the Belarusian office of the prestigious international law firm Sorainen, it’s no surprise that the intercultural aspect the program was something Kiryl really appreciated.
“The program was a great opportunity not only to find out more about Sweden, but also to find some friends and acquaintances in my neighbouring countries. When you’re coming for business, it’s great to be able to call your friends from the management program, and they bring their friends on. Then you’re expanding your network within that particular country”, he says.
Another thing he values is the time with his host company, Swedish Orphan International, a firm that produces medicine to treat the rare and grave children’s disease Tyrosinemea type 1.
“I was really very impressed, because they’re a company, this is not charity, but they’re combining their commerciality with a very high mission - to help children worldwide”, says Kiryl.
His project at the company was to help them investigate the possibilities of distributing and selling their medicine in Belarus, and other countries in Eastern Europe. All in all, however, knowledge of Sweden was the most important thing Kiryl takes with him from the program.
“The management program was very unique, we met many, many people, and we were mostly outside the institute - in Kiruna, in the hotel, or on a boat! You learn much more about the whole country that way”, he says.
“I really like Sweden, I like the people very much. For me, the Swedish people are closest to me”, says Kiryl.