Mr. Gardner, 42, settled in Russia, 1994. He has an Oklahoma University Bachelor's degree in business administration.
Doug occasionally intersperses his fluent Russian with English words. He talks Russian at home and in his office alike-his wife, Natalia, is Russian. They have four kids-two boys and two girls.
The Ernst & Young has formidable clients in Russia-the Savings Bank, Vneshtorgbank, International Moscow Bank, and UralSib, to mention but a few.
Doug was in charge of finance auditing within the two previous years. At present, he has 1,700 subordinates in thirteen offices. 1,100 of those employees are working in Russia. The chain checks accounting of 14 out of Russia's 45 top corporations.
Doug's workday starts at nine, but he usually appears in his office at seven or, at least, half an hour later-to take stock of the day's routine on his own before others flock to the office. He usually spends twelve to fifteen hours a day at his job, and finds it perfectly normal.
As Doug sees it, the Central Bank of Russia ought to clean Russia of banks that keep away from production economic sectors. What the Central Bank needs is a sort of early warning system to spot out a problem bank in due time-one with liquidity predicaments or scanty capital. Meanwhile, the bank that regulates the entire national banking has no such chance, and the situation alarms the American.
Russian banking can settle many of its problems through consolidation, he is sure. Thus, Doug finds redundant close on 1,300 Russian-based banks.
The Yukos controversy surely has had an unwelcome impact on business climate-but then, every country has its tax inspectors, he reasons.
The preceding two or three years have taught Russian company bosses to take fiscal hazards into consideration not only when they see inspectors coming in with a check. Now, Russian managers are learning to monitor fiscal affairs day in, day out.
American public companies presently have to spend one to three million dollars a year on home control. Russian companies with stock in offer at US exchanges will have to spend even more-the real job has not started as yet, and home control has to start from scratch in every field of business, remarked Doug Gardner.
