Mikhail Shamolin is symbolic of a new generation of business executives from the emerging markets. The 38-year-old chief executive of Russia's largest mobile phone company cut his teeth at McKinsey after studying at Wharton Business School. While at the management consultancy he helped Aeroflot, the state airline, develop the overnight London-Moscow flight he uses so often in his new role.

MTS is listed in New York like its domestic rival Vimpelcom but it is majority-owned by the Russian conglomerate Sistema. Rumours arose last year of a possible tie-up with Deutsche Telekom but Sistema instead invested in Indian telecoms.