2022 was a year of turbulence for business, especially for companies in Eastern European countries. But even in such a difficult situation, some companies manage not only to maintain, but also to develop business – to enter new markets and develop new areas. CEOWORLD Magazine talked with NEQSOL Holding CEO Yusif Jabbarov about how to stand fast, maintain stability, and develop business in unprecedented conditions for modern Europe. Yusif Jabbarov is a top manager with more than 20 years of experience in a number of sectors (financial; oil, gas, and energy; telecommunications; construction materials production; and hi-tech) in different regions across the globe. Thanks to Yusif Jabbarov’s experience, NEQSOL Holding managed to build its work in nine countries – the UK, the USA, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and the UAE. Such diversification, even during global economic instability, allowed achieving positive financial indicators.
In a given extensive interview, Jabbarov also shared that his company plans to enter new markets in the coming years.
“We can say that NEQSOL Holding is currently in the stage of inorganic growth, so we are considering all options for business development. For example, we are negotiating with a number of telecommunications companies in Eastern Europe about possibly entering into business or about acquiring the business as a whole.
According to CEO, “there are two cement production projects that we are currently working on. These are two new markets for us. There is a high probability that we will complete at least one deal within a year. Our investment plan for these two sites, including borrowed funds, is $300 million. This is in addition to our project in Ukraine.
And there are certain developments in the oil and gas business, where we also plan to enter the markets of Western countries.”
Jabbarov shared, by what parameters his team chooses a new country where they plan to develop business. In his words, “choosing a market is always a very complex process that involves evaluating a country by a number of indicators. We have a strong investment team that does tremendous preparatory work. The work begins with analyzing the economic situation in a new market, then assessing the competitive environment in a particular industry, then we look at the development potential of the industry as a whole and a specific asset in a particular country. It is important for us to understand what we can do with the asset after its acquisition. We are not interested in just investing and waiting for dividends. We are not portfolio investors. We acquire an asset only if we see opportunities to increase its value, and we are confident that we can do it.
For example, over the past year, NEQSOL Holding has invested in a number of hi-tech companies. But we are not an angel investor – we do not invest in ideas. Our goal is enterprises that are already implementing ideas and have development potential. This is usually the second or third round of a company’s development,” NEQSOL Holding CEO says.
