In preparation for a telephone interview with Ms. Cloherty, a set of questions was sent that she answered in an April 23, 2021 email, with two background points sent by email on May 2, 2021, both quoted below.
April 23, 2021, email from Patricia Cloherty.
My answer follows: to be read with your questions. Response #1 is long. In order to place the setting of my going to Russia, but use what you like.
Satinsky question: When did you get involved in Russia and why? Were you attracted by business opportunity, the chance to reform Russian society around American & Western principles, the opportunity to participate in history, the experience of adventure in the exotic “Wild East” or something else?
Cloherty answer: I got involved with Russia at the end of 1994, and that was totally by accident. I was involved in extremely high risk investing for almost four decades in five countries – the US, UK, France, Israel, Japan – all to secure higher than average returns for investors to adjust for the risk. Higher than average returns is defined as the return higher that on other asset classes, such as marketable securities, oil and gas, real estate, or any other asset classes, in any given year.
Russia as a target? Never thought of it. I had read a Kissinger book in the early 90’s; the chapter on Russia said the country is “sui generis”. Given its’ unique history and geography, it will define itself, post-Soviet Union. I never saw myself as an actor in this evolution.
However, at the end of 1994, the White House Personnel Office called to see if I would go on a mission with President Clinton, to see President Yeltsin, to discuss “deliverables” from the US to the struggling country.
Here is the summarized conversation:
WH: Will you join POTUS on a mission to Russia to discuss private sector development?
PMC: Russia? I’ve never been there and don’t speak the language.
WH: They told us you would quibble.
PMC: Quibble! I’m a Latin Americanist and speak only Spanish and Portuguese. (More discussion.) He explained that the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice and able aides, in 1989, had conceived of a plan to assist Eastern and Central European Countries to privatize economies after the Berlin Wall fell and Russia was bankrupt. Russia was added by legislative amendment in 1994.The first such entity for this was the Fund for Large Enterprises in Russia (“FLER”).
I agreed to this challenge against a background of ignorance and joined the mission. While there, since I wasn’t an official, I took time to hire a helicopter to visit a couple of companies, a plywood manufacturing plant north of Moscow and a brewery to the south. I found nice, smart people, but the companies, as such, were catastrophes.
I told the White House group to dump me after the mission, as I had full responsibilities with my firm and our industry. But they did not “do the dump”. I stayed on and got immersed in Russia for years after my retirement.
Satinsky question: What organization or company did you work for? What were the goals, purposes and activity of that company or organization? What were your goals & responsibilities?
Cloherty answer: I worked for Patricof & Company Ventures (now Apax Partners, UK). When we started in 1970, we financed mainly early-stage companies. The venture capital industry itself was early stage at that time. We grew in both capital under management and geographical scope over the years.
When the “Russia gig” came up, I was President and General Partner of my firm, and extracurricular, I was President of the National Venture Capital Association. Our goal always was to make higher than average returns on invested capital. With my partners, I hired/fired professionals who worked in teams with us to select promising companies in which to invest.
Satinsky question: What was the frequency and nature of your interaction with Russians, both professionally and personally? How deeply do you think you got involved in Russian life? What cultural differences stand out to you and what role did cultural differences play in your interactions with Russians?
Cloherty answer: I had little interaction with Russians, except for one scientist we backed out of IBM, making semiconductor chip packages pursuant to patents purchased from IBM.
In Russia, of course, it was different. My staff of 33 was Russian, except for two or three, and virtually all were multilingual. The financial professionals were highly educated, many in the US or UK. The support staff, i.e., driver, cooks, administrative personnel, were smart, loyal, hard-working and open to new ideas from me, a strange American. I attended their christenings, weddings, and birthdays with great joy. Mutual trust was the key.
Satinsky question: What impact do you think you had on the Russian economy, Russian institutions and Russian life? Looking back what were your successes and failures? Were your successes what you intended or something unforeseen? If you had failures, what factors led to those failures?
Cloherty answer: Our impact was substantial. Our firm’s first name when the US Government (“USG”) was involved was The US Russia Investment Fund (“TUSRIF”). When USG stopped funding after two years, (It’s idea of long-term investing), we raised another $500 million privately around the world and became Delta Private Equity Partners (“DPEP”).
We launched 55 new companies – first mortgage bank, first credit card issuing bank, first bottled water company, etc., all managed by Russian entrepreneurs. In 2001, we launched The Center for Entrepreneurship, to train in such skills as managing cash flow, hiring and reward key people, and so on. Fifty-two of the companies were sold for extraordinary returns. Our failures were insignificant, given the business we were in. In addition, all the employees shared in profits from investments, a totally novel concept of “sharing the wealth” with investors.
Satinsky question: What impact do you think your experience in Russia and your interaction with Russians had on you professionally and personally?
Cloherty answer: I grew to respect deeply most of the Russians I worked with and their country. We are still in touch today. Regrettably, I fell on the ice walking home, thereby exacerbating existing back problems. Thus, I left for extensive surgery in the US. Some colleagues visit my hobbling self, though since the Pandemic, we are all just emailing and telephoning.
Satinsky question: Do you agree that Russia ended up rejecting the US model for its economy and institutions? If so, why do you think this happened?
Cloherty answer: No. Like Kissinger, I do not think Russia is bent on emulating any other system, except at the margin. I was at the entrepreneurial margin, which they loved, because if you do it right, you can support yourself and your family, without resorting to stealing heifers, digging up railroad tracks, or prostitution for a few rubles. Having oligarchs fleece the country is not an acceptable alternative to entrepreneurship for normal people, but they will have to sort that out.
Hope this is helpful. Good luck with your book.
May 3, 2021, email from Patricia Cloherty:
Two background points:
1) DPEP was in private investment markets, the primary risk of which for investors is profound and often sustained illiquidity. Mike Calvey, Drew Guff, a a few other smaller groups were in that hitherto untouched area. Most investors, world-wide, invest in public securities markets where, at least theoretically, you have liquidity. Come a downturn, sell, without the heartburn of living through any broad correction that may or may not, occur. Bill Browder, for example, was a very successful investor in public markets. Though a good friend and always straightforward with me, he wouldn’t touch private markets, for that reason.
2) Interviewees should know that I disagree with your major premise. We were not reforming a country. It was all we could do to build 55 companies from scratch where no legal, regulatory or entrepreneurial climate had existed since early in the Twentieth Century. If we succeeded, others might emulate (and, hopefully, bring us deals). But our goal was the health and value of our portfolio companies.