MOSCOW, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PhosAgro CEO
Andrey Guryev took part in an online
conference hosted by the Skolkovo business school on sustainability
scenarios for large businesses during crisis situations.
The moderator Evgeny Kaganer,
Dean of Academic Affairs at the Skolkovo Moscow School of
Management and a professor at the IESE Business School,
discussed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and market
volatility on the activities of large companies with
Ruben Vardanyan, an investor and
entrepreneur, and with Mr Guryev, who is also the President of the
Russian Fertilizer Producers Association.
"We are now, for the first time, in a new crisis that still
needs to be acknowledged. This is a crisis on a global scale; this
is a versatile, multifaceted crisis that is happening to everyone
at the same time. In this sense, what makes it unique is not the
fact that it is the most serious or most profound crisis, but that
it is happening on all fronts simultaneously. With this in mind,
how businesses conduct themselves, how they make decisions and
respond to the crisis must be suited to the reality of the
situation," said Mr Vardanyan.
He noted that the current situation poses four challenges for
businesses at once: the need to adapt to strict quarantine
measures, the onset of negative economic and social consequences on
the ground, the possibility of a long-term global recession and the
acceleration of new economic trends, such as the digitalisation of
business processes.
PhosAgro's Mr Guryev stressed that the world has
entered "into unknown and uncharted territory, where things that
previously seemed unimaginable and impossible now appeared to be
necessary and effective measures."
He spoke about the rapid implementation – in cooperation with
local and regional authorities – of quarantine measures in the
cities where the company operates: Cherepovets, Kirovsk, Apatity,
Volkhov and Balakovo.
"The sooner we take the necessary measures, the faster we will
get out of this crisis situation and the less severe the
consequences will be. These rather stringent measures are
absolutely vital to stopping the spread of the virus," said Mr
Guryev.
He added that in a crisis, the key to the sustainable operation
of any large company is preserving all the links in existing supply
chains. In this regard, large companies should have operating
regulations in place in case of the development of any sort of
epidemiological situation, as is the case at PhosAgro. Redundancy
schemes need to be worked out for key personnel involved in
ensuring the uninterrupted operation of production facilities. In
developing these schemes, companies should take into account the
successful experience of businesses in those countries that were
first hit by the epidemic: in China, South
Korea, Singapore and
Hong Kong.
"The Coordinating Council of the Russian Union of Industrialists
and Entrepreneurs (RUIE) on combating coronavirus infection will
provide businesses with access to the epidemic response measures
developed by leading Russian and international companies. This will
help ensure that efforts are coordinated, that task forces fighting
the epidemic exchange experiences, and that the best preventive
practices to maintain production continuity are replicated,"
said Mr Guryev, who is co-Chairman of the RUIE Coordinating
Council.
Mr Guryev also heads the central PhosAgro task force for
preventing COVID-19 at the Group's enterprises. Local coronavirus
task forces in place in all the Company's structure divisions
report to the central task force. PhosAgro's CEO is the head of a
similar task force within the Russian Fertilizer Producers
Association, and he is involved in the work of the Coronavirus
Alliance.
All PhosAgro enterprises are operating under special
regulations. Employees taking part in the uninterrupted production
cycle must undergo a medical exam before starting work. Their body
temperature is measured on a regular basis using non-contact
thermometers, and streaming thermal imagers have been purchased for
installation at the main entrances to facilities. All other
employees began working remotely well in advance.
All internal meetings are conducted through video conferences,
and a ban on business travel has been in place for more than a
month. Additional measures to disinfect workplaces and vehicles are
being carried out. Antiseptic dispensers and air decontamination
equipment have been installed at production facilities. All
employees of Company enterprises have been provided with a full
supply of masks. A section has been created on PhosAgro's corporate
intranet for sharing relevant materials on the topic of disease
prevention.
The Company is providing assistance to medical institutions in
the cities where it operates: ambulances are being purchased that
are equipped with the necessary medical equipment and ventilators,
and ventilators, oxygen concentrators, disposable syringes, test
tubes for blood and biomaterials, filter masks, protective goggles
and hazmat suits, air disinfectants and decontamination equipment
are being purchased for healthcare facilities.
PhosAgro has been acquiring tests and reagents for conducting
rapid coronavirus testing for residents of the cities where it
operates and its employees. Together with the Russian Direct
Investment Fund, PhosAgro is implementing a pilot system for
implementing the latest rapid testing system. The first batch of
rapid tests was delivered to Kirovsk and Apatity several days
ago.
About PhosAgro
PhosAgro (www.phosagro.com) is one of the world's leading
vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms
of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade
phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39% and higher. PhosAgro's
environmentally friendly fertilizers stand out for their high
efficiency, and they do not lead to the contamination of soils with
heavy metals.
The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer
producer in Europe (by total
combined capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of
high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39% and one of the
leading producers of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers
of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia, and Russia's only producer of nepheline
concentrate (according to the RAFP).
PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, 39 grades of
fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate,
which are used by customers in 100 countries spanning all of the
world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets
outside of Russia and the CIS are
Latin America, Europe and Asia.
PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and
global depositary receipts (GDRs) for shares trade on the London
Stock Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been
included in the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets
indexes.
More information about PhosAgro can be found on the website:
www.phosagro.com.
