Orhan Sayman came to Russia in 2017 to work as CEO of Beko in Russia and Belarus, in 2021 he was appointed regional CEO of Beko for Russia and Central Asia, and in 2023 he became regional CEO of Beko, Hotpoint, Indesit, Grundig for Russia, Belarus and Central Asia. In a farewell interview, he shared his fond memories, major achievements and vision for the company's future.

– Orhan Bey, looking back on your path in Russia, what moments you can remind?
– There were many such moments. I remember my first day in Russia in February 2017 well. It was dark and cold and I was a little nervous: a new country with big goals set for me by headquarters.
Then the summer of 2017: six months later, I was conducting recruiting interviews. It was an exciting moment when a new team was born.
I remember moving to a new office on Taganskaya street. I gave a speech in the kitchen where we were all together celebrating as a team.
Then, when I arrived in Kirzhach, I saw this new large office and got a little nervous again, because the larger the office, the higher the expectations. I remember people looking at me in the office and factory and silently asking, “Who is this new one? What did he bring us?"
I remember our meetings with M.Video and Eldorado: how we suffered failure after failure until we achieved success.
I remember taking the team to the old Mistral Hotel where we spent great time. And I remember many other corporate dinners.

And times of COVID-19 as well, when people were afraid of uncertainty, we united as a company. We overcame this challenge without damage to the company, because we care about people’s lives and health. I am grateful to the employees in Kirzhach who worked hard to provide uninterrupted production process during this difficult time.
When the conflict began, there was panic in the company. Nobody had an idea what would happen tomorrow. Someone was crying, so we hired an outsourced company to provide professional psychological support by the phone.
I remember the moment we acquired Whirlpool. Both parties were scared. The Whirpool team didn't know what to expect from “this Turkish company.” The people at Beko were nervous because they were sent out of their comfort zone and forced to work with a company that was much larger. I remember my first meeting at the Whirlpool office in Moscow.
And I remember last year when we became one team as Beko and IHP.

– Yes, it so happened that you found yourself in Russia at a very difficult moment in history...
“I knew right away that it would not be easy, but the task turned out to be much more serious than I expected. Getting into M.Video and Eldorado took four years: we fought, working hard, falling, getting back up, fighting back like boxers.
During COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict, we needed new crisis management skills, but at the same time I had to think about business results. I had to show people: your leader is not afraid, so you also should not be afraid. We will get through this difficult stage together.

– What helped you win with Eldorado and M.Video?
– This may sound too self-confident, but I think in 27 years of working at Arcelik I have never lost. I strongly believed that my success story would continue here. And I believed in myself and my team. M|y motto is “Never give up”. When people see you, you should be a role model. You need to show that you trust them totally so that they can have complete confidence in you.
I am the captain of the ship. But finally, it doesn’t matter what education and experience you have. If you don't have a strong team that will follow you and support you, you won't be able to succeed. I have been very fortunate to get support from both the Beko team and IHP.

– What is the secret of successful uniting of the teams with different business cultures?
“It is necessary to show both sides that this company is fair.” Those who work hard and bring positive changes are rewarded, but there is no mercy for those who cannot keep up with the company. So everyone understands their role and knows that we are in the same boat. There is only one boat, and it either sinks or floats along with everyone. I have always emphasized this.

– What do you think about the Russians? Do they differ somehow from citizens of other countries?
– I don’t like to generalize. Good and bad people, lazy and hardworking, kind and rude have been and will be found everytime and everywhere.
But I realized something as soon as I arrived. People don't trust foreigners here. When I started speaking English in a shopping mall, in a taxi, at a business meeting, everyone became extremely suspicious.
When I started speaking a little Russian, the attitude towards me changed dramatically. When you try to learn the local culture and share their values, people start smiling and trying to help you with everything. They are actually very kind.
It takes a lot of time to gain the trust of a Russian - in personal or business communication. But once the barrier is broken and trust is earned, you become a brother to them and they are ready to die for you. Of course, a couple glasses of vodka and dancing together really helps to break the barrier. When Russians see that you are same, that you respect and don’t underestimate them, that you can joke, that you are a team player, they begin to trust you.

– Now you are moving to the USA, to a country with a completely different culture. How do you think adaptation will be easy?
– It was hard in every new place. It started in Poland, then it was difficult in Spain and most difficult in Russia. I am learning more and more about business in the US and Canada, the two countries that I will be leading starting January 1st. I realized that the task would be very difficult. We've already had some success there, but the expectations are much higher and I'm already feeling that pressure. Of course, it makes me stressed and nervous, but also motivates me, because the more difficult it is for me, the better. I have enough energy to fight.

– Have you been waiting for this appointment?
– When I got a job at Arcelik in 1996, to the question “Are you ready to go on business trips and move to other countries?” I answered “Yes.” I chose export department as my preferred one. So I was ready from the first day. The average appointment term is from 3 to 5 years. After, it’s time to take on a new challenge, and a new person to come into your place with a new vision.
I spent six years in Poland, a year and a half in Spain and almost seven years in Russia. But my new assignment was delayed because of COVID-19 and the Whirlpool acquisition. So yes, it was time for me to move on. I'm glad it's going to be the US for another reason. My son is a student at Boston University and it would be great to connect with him more closely.

– Did your family stay together with you in Russia?
“My daughter entered university in London when we arrived, but she often visited us. My wife and son stayed with me. My son started high school here, and a year and a half ago he graduated and went to study in America. He speaks Russian better than me.

– Will it snow where you are moving?
- Yes. I was warned that it would be very cold in Chicago. But a couple of years ago I experienced -32 °C in Moscow, so I just smiled. It’s hard to scare me with the average winter temperature of –15.

– What do you like to do in your free time and have you developed new hobbies in Russia?
– I love fitness. I used to train with my Istanbul coach before, but I found a local coach here and trained with him all this time, three times a week. I also love swimming, so I attended the swimming pool and sauna in my house twice a week.
There was also a forest near my house. And I loved to walk there on weekends at any time of the year, except winter. A great way to get rid of accumulated work stress. Russia has very beautiful and safe forests, it’s so nice to breathe fresh air and enjoy the views. We rode bikes there regularly with my son, it was a great family hobby.

– Have you tried picking mushrooms?
- Oh, No. Our friends told us that it’s better not to do this; Russians have been accustomed to picking mushrooms since childhood and know which ones are edible, but we could get poisoned. So we followed this advice.

– What is your favorite Russian food?
- Cheesecakes and borscht. I can easily adapt to a different cuisine, but I will really miss cheesecakes and will definitely try to find a Russian restaurant in Chicago.

– What will you miss from Russia, besides cheesecakes?
“There are a lot of things, but most of all I will miss my team.” We have become a real family! I’m not saying this for the sake of words! I am confident that in the coming years, we will be in touch, regardless of my location. This was not just a relationship between boss and subordinates. We went through the mill and became comrades. We took care of each other and fought side by side, so I won't forget them, and neither they will.
I will miss the forest and friends I found in Russia. I will miss the wonderful restaurants we dined in, Red Square and our ski holidays in Sochi.

– What tasks does the team face now? How do you recommend dealing with them?
“After acquiring Whirlpool, we expected to find ourselves in a very good position to increase market share and generate profits. However, the market has become even more competitive due to the active penetration of Chinese companies. They invested huge amounts of money into it.
Therefore, I would recommend to my team to realize that we are the largest manufacturer in Russia and the number 2 in the market, but at the same time carefully monitor our competitors and make decisions quickly.
I believe that the direction we have taken over the last three to four years is leading to continuous success. We need to show our partners that we are stable and will keep this up as before. I would also recommend to continue investing in brands. The presence of strong brands provides us with convenient position at the market.

– What projects realized during your stay here are you most proud of?
– I’m glad that we finally hit the shelves of M.Video and Eldorado networks at the level we wanted many years ago.
I am proud of developing online business, launching the Grundig brand in Russia and achieving a very high level with it.
I'm proud to have launched the Grundig TV business last year. I am proud to have managed four brands including Indesit and Hotpoint. It was not easy to counter our competitors without allowing our four brands to cannibalize each other. We had to use different ways to support them. I'm very proud of making the merger with Whirlpool as smooth as possible. And, of course, I am very proud of my team.

– Do you ever think of coming to visit?
– It will be very difficult to come in the near future since there are no direct flights, and there are 12 time zones between us. But I dream of one day returning and communicating with the team members in Moscow.
I wish my team to be self confident. You are very strong and experienced and can overcome any problem! And I also urge everyone not to forget about Orhan!