MagtiCom was a healthy mobile operator when I arrived, but it's competitiveness was under attack by the No. 2 operator, Geocell.  Market share started a severe decline soon after the Rose Revolution in 2003 and by the time I arrived, it was clear that MagtiCom needed a strong dose of Marketing Leadership to turn things around.

Gaining Traction in Georgia's Mobile Telecom Sector

The mobile telecom industry moves fast, much faster than a lot of high tech industries.  When I arrived in Georgia, I knew that I had to move fast and with broad strokes.  Due to competitive and confidentiality concerns, I can't post detailed information about the steps we took to turnaround MagtiCom's business here on the Internet, but what follows are the general areas that I focused on in order to regain Market Leadership:

• Brand Portfolio Strategy

• Marketing Research

• Market Segmentation

• Product Positioning

• Pricing

• More Branding (Execution)

• Subscriber Acquisition

• Retail Operations

In 2006, we launched the very first 3G mobile network (UMTS) in the CIS — ahead of Ukraine, ahead of Russia!  We offered more geographic coverage at faster and more consistent high speeds than anything available in the U.S., better than what you'd experience with Verizon, Sprint or AT&T.

We also launched a robust portfolio of products and promotions such as, innovative VISA Debit Card tie-ins, 3G handset leasing, and other financial products.

Working with World Class Telecom Professionals... My greatest legacy at MagtiCom is the team of people that I had the privilege to work with and lead.  Most were hungry to experience first-hand western style Marketing.  They were eager to regain market leadership and they believed in our ability to outperform the competition after suffering years of defeats in the marketplace.  What they were looking for was leadership.  And not just any leader, but someone who knew from experience, not theory, how to approach the battles facing the company. By far, they are among the most professional, most intelligent and most committed individuals that I've ever met.  And, did I mention how FAST they work?

How to Find out More

Are you considering doing business in Georgia or other CIS countries?  If you'd like more background on what it was like trying to bring world class Western-style Marketing techniques to a mobile telecom operator in a post-Soviet economy, Contact Me .