Business in Russia: Why some firms haven’t left

Future risks?

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, the founder of Yale’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute, believes companies choosing to stay in Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine will not be viewed kindly by the public.

He compares it to the PR disaster faced by companies that ran German operations during the Third Reich. “When the war ends, they’re going to be seen as Nazi collaborators were seen,” he says.

He argues the decisions to continue German operations by companies including Woolworth, Royal Dutch Shell and Texaco did not benefit their bottom lines in the end. All three were forced…