I’m Alexander Lyadov, a business therapist
I help founders in between unlock exponential value
Career
I have been providing business therapy services to business owners and CEOs since 2016, drawing on my 28 years of business experience. My career includes 15 years in a variety of business leadership roles, including managing a private equity and venture capital fund, co-founding a marketing communications group, and serving on the Board of Directors of companies in e-commerce, media, distribution, retail, insurance, agriculture, and energy.
From 2008 to 2015, I was a co-founder and Managing Partner of the $50 million private equity and venture capital fund Dekarta Capital. During my tenure, I engaged in the search, purchase, development, and sale of promising companies at different stages (distress, seed, early and late growth), in different sectors (e-commerce, energy, outdoor advertising, real estate, distribution, retail, insurance) and in different markets (in Latvia, Ukraine, and Russia). I was a member of the Fund's Investment Committee and the Board of Directors of the Fund's portfolio companies.
While working in the Fund, I supported the managers of portfolio companies in creating Advisory Boards, developing strategies to enter new markets (China, USA, UK, EU and CIS countries), adapting business models, building brands, negotiating with strategic partners, introducing CRM and financial accounting setups, developing personnel compensation schemes, and managing talent (CEO, CMO, BDO, CFO, etc.). I also helped with the takeover and sale of businesses.
Before that, in 2006-2007, I was Vice-President of Renaissance Investment Management (Renaissance Capital), where I engaged in the wealth management of high-net-worth individuals. From 1995 to 2006, I was involved in the marketing communications business, heading the advertising agency Bates Ukraine (WPP Group) and co-founding the advertising group Euro RSCG Ukraine (HAVAS Ukraine).
Education
I received my MBA from Chicago Business School, studied private equity and venture capital at Harvard Business School, and learned the practice of building an effective Board of Directors at the Ukrainian Academy of Corporate Governance (UCGA). Additionally, I was trained in the psychotherapeutic method of Focusing and certified by the International Focusing Institute (New York). I graduated from Kyiv National Shevchenko University with a degree in Analytical Chemistry.
Family, Creativity, and Sports
Apart from my professional life, I have various interests. I do a daily newsletter via email, Telegram, and Medium, and host an audio podcast called In-between about the art of living between Chaos and Order. I have been published in Forbes, NV, DOU, and AIN magazines. Married for 28 years, my wife and I are raising a son, a daughter, and an Australian Cattle dog. At the age of 43, I took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu and in my division became a two-time European Champion.
