For centuries, businesses have been passed down from father to son, evolving from humble beginnings to great success. Sadly, due to the dominance of men in society, women have been held back from achieving their full potential. Traditionally, women were responsible for mundane household tasks and caregiving for children and elderly family members.
However, today, women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs globally. Women-run businesses have long been recognized as a crucial contributor to the economy. Through their entrepreneurial ventures, women create new job opportunities, for themselves and others, and offer innovative solutions to societal, organizational, and business challenges. More and more women are determined to smash through the traditional glass ceiling that has prevented them from reaching leadership positions, regardless of their skills or capabilities.
Several studies have concluded that companies led by female CEOs perform better than those led by males. This is because women bring unique demographic skills to the table. They take better care of their staff, improve reward systems, and provide more flexibility. Women-led businesses are also more likely to reduce internal corporate governance turmoil.
However, being a CEO is no easy task. It requires a great deal of expertise and experience in the respective field and is an all-consuming role. Anna Vasyutina is the founder of Vasyutina LLC, a Moscow-based business consultancy. She is an accomplished business leader with over 26 years of experience and an impressive track record of managing large projects and multiple roles. Anna has a logical mindset and is a dedicated team player with excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Anna is also a skilled mentor, who has helped her mentees to exceed expectations and achieve great results.
Formative Years
Anna Vasyutina was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, into a wealthy family involved in business and investments. Throughout her life, she pursued various interests, including singing, acting, modeling, and advertising, across various locations such as the USSR, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Paris, and London.
At 7, Anna moved in with her more conservative parents, who significantly influenced her life. Despite receiving a commendable education, her natural inclinations towards business and investment diverged from her schooling. Her fondness for her liberal-minded grandparents only intensified this discord.
Anna’s family faced financial difficulties during the Gorbachev era, losing much of their wealth. Her father’s career also shifted from federal service, while her mother’s role became more subordinate. Their job prospects only improved during Putin’s presidency.
Throughout her education, Anna demonstrated a passion for languages, arts, and mythology. She developed proficiency in French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin, as well as her native language. Despite her academic success at a renowned school, she experienced socioeconomic disparity within the St. Petersburg community.
"Empowerment is not just about breaking barriers; it’s about building bridges of possibility for ourselves and others"
Education and Upskilling
Anna has a total of 13 degrees, including PG Diplomas in Finance and Investment, Russian-American and UK programs in F&I, an MSc in World Economics from, the Higher School of Economics, a PG Diploma from the University of Padova, Italy; a Philology degree in Italian language, PG Diploma from St Georges International School of London; and Postgraduate qualification in Law & Economics from Moscow State Law Academy, Moscow.
In her younger days, her parents influenced Anna to study law at St. Petersburg State University instead of pursuing her inherent expertise in economics and investment. However, she still explored her versatile personality by participating in comedy, including the Club of the Funny and Inventive (KVN). During university, she was successful as a student while working as an actress on the side. She went on to receive several grants and scholarships from international universities in Austria, Paris, and the UK.
After completing her postgraduate certificates in UK and US contract law from the Law Centre of International Legal Education, Anna earned an Executive MBA from the University of Warwick, specializing in marketing, strategy, consultancy, and change management. She has also completed several courses, including those for the ACCA and CIMA certifications, and recently received her financial course investment certification.
More recently, Anna was published in Forbes magazine India-Dubai in 2022. She also completed her master’s in Finance and Investment from Oxford University in 2022.
Professional Trajectory
Anna moved to the UK as she grew older, where she successfully completed the IELTS and TOEFL courses. She received her first offer as a professional model and worked with well-known fashion brands such as Banana Republic and Michael Kors. After returning to Russia, Anna secured a job with an IT consulting organization, where she worked as a leading manager and lawyer for five years.
Anna’s professional trajectory has included significant roles with prominent firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, Rusal, Mechel, Ritzio Entertainment Group, and White & Case. She has also contributed to the entertainment sector as an actress and comedian. Her move to Moscow led to a series of successful ventures, culminating in her current involvement in IT, Digital Marketing, and Real Estate. Notably, she has contributed to notable real estate companies including Shobha Estate and Damac Properties in various countries.
Anna’s commitment to fostering independence, both personally and financially, is underpinned by her extensive background and educational achievements. She provides invaluable insights as a top-tier manager with an MBA and a Master of Finance and Investment from Oxford University. Her guidance extends to cultivating a sense of personal freedom, environmental consciousness, and empathy toward others.
Simplifying Business Outcomes
Anna empowers her clients with knowledge and practical research to enable them to make the right business decisions. As a business leader, her expertise is derived from her education and experience. This has led to Anna owning and operating several different ventures around the world.
While her Dubai-based outlet, Estas offers a vast range of business solutions and consultancy services through its online store, her Moscow-based organization – Vasyutina LLC has been in business for the last 15 years providing business consulting, psychology, and coaching services.
Through her company Vasyutina LLC, Anna provides organizations with psychological insights to improve communication skills, team dynamics, and leadership ability. Her company is named after a soviet freedom fighter from the USSR. Her MBA and business experience equip her with executive coaching skills to offer a distinctive blend of psychological expertise and practical business acumen.
Anna’s comprehensive understanding of human behavior and cognitive processes allows her to delve into the underlying factors that shape a leader’s decision-making, emotional intelligence, and overall effectiveness. By addressing these psychological barriers, she helps executives unlock their full potential, leading their organizations to new heights.
Moreover, Anna brings a valuable perspective to the coaching process by examining the organizational context in which leaders operate. She considers factors such as culture, team dynamics, and communication patterns which significantly impact leadership effectiveness. By analyzing these contextual elements, Anna helps leaders refine their strategies, adapt their leadership style, and foster a positive work environment conducive to growth and innovation.
A Resilient Leader
Anna has faced numerous challenges in her career as a woman, including racial and gender discrimination. She has experienced these obstacles in different professional fields across the globe, from Russia to Dubai, India, and beyond. Despite these difficulties, her commitment to empowering women remains steadfast. She emphasizes the importance of honesty, prudence, and thoughtfulness in achieving lasting success.
A multi-faceted leader, Anna possesses expertise in various fields. She is a consultant, director, CEO, accountant, lawyer, manager, financial specialist, planner, and investor. Her roles and responsibilities include identifying investment opportunities and providing advice in various sectors, creating online web schools, educating, training, developing, coaching, and running a bookstore.
Moreover, Anna engages in extensive consultancy work across various sectors such as telecommunication, banking, technology, mining and coal, oil & gas, and retail. She has helped a furniture retail company by understanding the market for a new product and branding, developed a business plan for an ice hockey school, created contracts and financial plans for clients’ businesses, and sourced and developed new client accounts.
To stay up-to-date with industry trends, Anna closely follows changes in management, IT, and technical advancements, as well as industrial, environmental, and economic changes.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Anna believes that women’s roles have evolved globally, including in Dubai where men are starting to appreciate their female counterparts more and more. She thinks that women should respect the company’s culture while also remembering their own identity, culture, and individuality. It is important for women not to lose sight of themselves at work or in life. They should use their knowledge, skills, and experiences to work within the framework of global business practices while respecting everyone, including themselves.
Anna strongly advises young women to pursue an MBA and read business and management literature. She recommends authors like Peter Drucker, Richard Daft, and Philipp Kotler, as well as pursuing a degree in philology. She suggests building a career in multinational corporations, where women can implement their knowledge and skills.
"Women must adhere to the company's culture while also remembering their own identity, culture & entity, and they must never lose sight of themselves at work or in life"
