Ozon CEO Maëlle Gavet to Harvard Business Review: How to build an e-commerce giant in a cash-only economy

Russia’s economy is cash based, and its delivery networks are shaky. To drive growth in e-commerce, Ozon had to create a proprietary distribution system, a new logistics and customer service model, and a highly engaged team.

At first I didn’t want to have anything to do with Ozon. I was coming up for partnership at the Boston Consulting Group, and it was one of the firm’s smallest clients. I couldn’t see how it would help my chances for promotion, but a senior partner insisted that I lead the engagement.

A few months later I resigned from BCG to become Ozon’s sales and marketing director — and a year and a half later, in 2011, I became its CEO.