New Family Ties

In May, the Alfa Fellowship held its first ever alumni function here in NYC. All the important players from Moscow were there, as well as an impressive complement of former fellows, future fellows, and associated dignitaries. The press release does it better justice.

Russian Business Leaders Mikhail Fridman and Peter Aven Recognize Alfa Fellows

New York , May 22, 2007 – Over 50 Alfa Fellowship Program Fellows, alumni, and friends gathered on the evening of May 18 to celebrate the inaugural Alfa Fellowship Program Alumni gala. Distinguished guests and speakers included Mikhail Fridman, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Alfa Group Consortium and of the Board of Directors of Alfa-Bank, and Peter Aven, President of Alfa-Bank. Also in attendance were Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, and Consul General Sergey Garmonin, Consulate General of the Russian Federation in New York .

CDS International, a New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting international business training and intercultural exchange, collaborated with the Moscow-based international education and cultural exchange organization, Center for International Fellowships, to organize the Alfa Fellowship Program's first alumni meeting since the program's inception in 2004. Mr. Fridman delivered the keynote address and Mr. Aven presented awards to the Fellows in recognition of their participation on the program. During his keynote address, Mr. Fridman stated, “As Russia and the United States move farther from the days of the Cold War, it is vitally important that we each develop a thorough and accurate understanding based on the new realities which form the modern Russian–American relationship. We believe the Alfa Fellowship Program is one way in which this understanding can be fostered and enhanced, and we are proud to sponsor the program and look forward to its continued growth in the future.”

As mentioned, each of the returned fellows in attendance received a beautiful plaque commemorating our participation in the program. Its very nice looking and I have decided that it will be a central item on my "wall of power". I learned about the wall of power from Arkady, our director in Moscow. In his his restaurant, one corner of the lounge is covered in photos of him during his political career as an early democrat and Yeltsin man. Its really very impressive. I'd like to have one too, someday. So here's my first piece.


Perhaps we should all have one little corner where we display our bona fides, if for no one else but ourselves. It could serve as a mirror that reflects far more than just the physical. A mirror of our professional appearance lest we forget how we look to other people.

Anyway, one purpose of the meeting was to begin setting up an alumni organization for the returned fellows. Alfa and CDS would like us to create the stateside network for the Alfa organization. It really sounded like a good idea to the dozen or so of us in attendance, so a steering committee has been formed to start putting ideas together.

Somehow, my job was to come up with a vision and mission for the soon-to-be-formed organization. Perhaps because I waxed philosophical during our meeting about how we have a unique voice in the Russian-American dialogue and that we should be aggressive in our vision. After all, an enormous bank and a leading international educational exchange facilitator would like very much to provide us with any resource we could possibly need.

Of course, all meetings of Americans interested in Russia eventually end up in a bar. I'm sure I made good points, but I have to confess that I waxed even more philosophical than before. Since we're still in the vision stage, its acceptable. Right?