RYBOLOVLEV: Success calls for “strategic vision”

How was your childhood in Russia?
I am grateful to my parents for many things. I love them very much and I respect them. My father, my mother and my children for me are the closest people. This is my family. The genes of my parents, their education, the relationships with them towards others have contributed to form my personality. The relatives of our family often say that intellectual curiosity was handed down to me by my father and strength of character by my mother. My choice to study medicine was certainly conditioned by the desire to follow in the footsteps of my parents, who were themselves doctors.

A doctor turned businessman, it is rather unusual …
As a teenager, I read “The Financier”, the Theodore Dreiser novel. It is in this book that I learned for the first time how the world of business and finance works. It made a big impression on me. During Soviet times, we did not know much about business and the mechanisms of the market economy. In the early 1990s, the situation began to change rapidly and new opportunities opened up. Social and economic systems were in complete turmoil. As to my personal situation, I already had a child and I had to provide for my family. Together with my father, I founded our first business (a company providing medical services).

What are the keys to your success?
It is hard to judge. One of the most important qualities for success in the business world is probably the strategic vision, that is to say the ability to see long-term and focus on long-term goals. This exercise is not always easy because there are constantly issues that must be managed day to day. But if we manage to stay the course despite all the shocks, the chances of success increase significantly. I want my two daughters have long-term goals and they have the will and the courage to give everything to achieve them. Learning to relax and being surrounded by your family is just as important for success. This allows you to regain strength and to do marathons rather than sprints.

What quality do you value most in others?
I like people who can speak directly, clearly and sincerely. Time is our most valuable resource. Therefore, effective interaction between people is crucial to the success of any project. In addition, I obviously appreciate the high level of competence and sense of humor that is always a sign of intelligence.

Do you travel a lot?
I think I am very lucky to live in a time where we can travel the world and gain new experiences. It was impossible during my childhood and adolescence. Now, I have lived in Monaco for many years and this place is perfect for me.

How do you see the future?
I think if you compare today’s world with that of there 20, 50 or 100 years, you may find that life has improved for most people – there are simply more opportunities for everyone. I think we will continue to see technological innovations in different areas. Being a doctor by training, I strongly believe in new biotechnologies and the progress of the pharmaceutical industry, which will not only discover new and different ways of fighting disease but will also revolutionize our daily lives.