ULI UK was delighted to welcome Darrell Stanaford, Chairman of ULI Russia and a board member at RD Management, to speak over lunch to an intimate group of Young Leaders on the topic of Russia on 22 July.

During his talk, Stanaford shared his experience and insight into the Russian market and explored why Russia and the West tend to make incorrect assumptions about each other and how these assumptions influence the business arena. He also discussed the current real estate market in Moscow and Russia and how the country acts as “a relative safe-haven for investors to park their capital.”

Stanaford also drew interesting parallels between Moscow and London as centres of growth and wealth, and discussed how Moscow has to compete for the young talent on a global scale. “Moscow recognises it is part of a global war for talent,” he said.

Stanaford explained to the group how the new government in Moscow has adopted a new approach to the economy and development by attempting to be more open and transparent as it aims to help the emergent market. He also shared his insights about working in property in a foreign country and his experiences within ULI.