Vladimir Verkhoshinsky:
‘I Don’t Know Anyone Who Would Work Little’

On June 20, the HSE Cultural Centre hosted an open talk with Vladimir Verkhoshinsky, CEO of Alfa-Bank. The meeting was organised by the HSE Business Club, the largest student entrepreneurial community in Russia. The financier told HSE University students about his personal career path, gave advice on how to succeed in life, and shared the secret of the company’s success.

Since 2019, Vladimir Verkhoshinsky has been named the top banking CEO in Russia four times in a row by Kommersant, and has twice received the award for the best CEO of a Russian company from the Russian Managers Association.

According to the top manager of Alfa-Bank, it is worth thinking about how to build a career as early as one’s school days. He was a good student and, thanks to his efforts and the work of his teachers, he enrolled in the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Verkhoshinsky added that HSE University students are lucky. ‘Probably, one in a thousand people in Russia studies at a university like this, and it greatly increases your chances of future success,’ he concluded.

The CEO of Alfa-Bank also noted that when hiring top managers, he always pays attention to which university the candidate has graduated from. It should be a university with a high status—this is an important condition of the company.

‘Within my circle of acquaintances, I don’t know anyone who would work little,’ Vladimir Verkhoshinsky emphasised. ‘The key factor, in addition to luck, is to work hard—more than others. Put in half an hour a day, two emails, one call, one slide more than the person following you, and you will be more successful.’

The open talk was held in the Q&A format, allowing anyone in the audience to ask questions of the speaker. For example, Arseniy asked the financier how he sees the future of Alfa-Bank. ‘In any organisation, including Alfa-Bank, I will strive to ensure that it grows faster than its competitors. This means that you are doing a good job—taking the market share from other players. In addition, we must try to keep the company ultra modern and at the cutting edge. There must be ambitions for growth and flexibility,’ he answered.

Nikita asked what factors and competitive advantages have enabled Alfa-Bank to grow in recent years. Vladimir Verkhoshinsky replied that each member of the company has ‘Alpha DNA’, which is responsible for the desire for growth and competitiveness. ‘We have a very strong team at all levels. The desire to grow, get ahead, and compete with others is the secret of success,’ he explained.

Yulia asked how the top manager combines a large workload with family. ‘For me, there is only work and family in life,’ the banker replied. ‘I am happy, my wife supports me and tolerates my long working hours. The source of energy for me is in my home. A career is a must, but personal happiness and well-being are, of course, also important to me.’

June 22, 2023