Google To Hire a Lobbyist in Russia

Google seems to need an extra power in Russia to increase and protect its market share. In Russia this power is not in money or quality of products offered - Google is looking to hire a “policy counsel” to work with governmental authorities and lobby the internet giant’s interests in Kremlin and Russian government.

Description of the position is available on one of the leading Russian job search engines intended specifically for top managers. For an undisclosed amount the Moscow office of Google is looking to hire a person to represent Google in official Russian institutions. The mission is described as follows:

The Policy Counsel will work to advocate Google’s public policy positions before policymakers in Russia to advance the goals and values of the company. Key issues will include privacy and data protection, content regulation, intellectual property (including copyright, patent, and trademark), communications policy, and the regulation of Internet networks and technologies. In addition, the Policy Counsel will represent Google to local industry associations. As part of a closely coordinated global team, the Policy Counsel will lead initiatives of central importance to Google’s mission.

The irony is that in Russia lobbyism is not actually such a mainstream and accepted phenomenon as it is in the US, for example. Sure, companies here use contacts of some of their employees (and often recruiting these employees because of their contacts in certain institutions) but everyone is constantly trying to disguise it as thoroughly as they can. Google’s job description so actually this is the first job description for a lobbyist in Russia.

And while the spokesperson for the Moscow office of Google claims that the role of the counsel will mainly be to regulate various legal issues, the responsibilities and required qualities for a candidate clearly describe a person who will be able to easily penetrate the Russian governmental institutions and lobby the interests of the global internet giant. To me it will be very interesting to see how Google will manage to bring together the American lobbyism history and practices with Russian habit of hidden lobbying.

The necessity for such a person in the company has become obvious now: Russia is one of just a handful of countries (4 to be specific) where Google does not hold the largest market share among the search engines. And it is well-known that on the Russian market it is easier to achieve something when you have the right contacts to help you. Besides, given the latest acquisition of contextual advertising company Begun Google has arrived to be one of the leaders of the rapidly growing Russian online advertising market and this profitable yet sensitive position obviously needs to be handled with caution.

To sum it up, I think it is good enough that Google team here fully realizes all the complications that will be involved in such a job - so it is no surprise that a sense of humor is required for the candidate.

Via CNews Russia