By Viesturs Deksnis, Editor-in-Chief of Balticnews.com.

Independent decision-making is becoming a critical challenge for fast-growing companies, says Alena Padalnitskaya, Head of the League of Analysts at Zubr Capital.

Working closely with young professionals, she observes that while many are ambitious and well-educated, they often lack the ability to make independent decisions and take responsibility – especially in situations where information is incomplete.

In this interview with Balticnews.com, Padalnitskaya explains why this gap matters for scaling companies, how university education differs from real business environments, why talent development has become a strategic issue for investment funds, and how AI tools should be approached in professional settings.

What is the real talent problem in today’s market?

From my perspective, working primarily with young talents, I see a lot of ambitious young professionals. They are motivated and educated. But what they often lack is independent decision-making.

For fast-growing companies – and we invest in such companies – this becomes critical. These businesses scale quickly, they hire quickly, and without people who can take responsibility and work independently, growth becomes very difficult.

Independence is one of the key factors.

Why does education often fail to prepare students for real business environments?

University is a great start. But education there is usually structured, isolated, and based on predefined data and predefined results. Students work with clearly designed tasks.

Real business is different. You do not have complete data. You do not have perfectly structured information. You have time pressure. When students do not have enough data, they often do not know how to behave or how to decide.

This gap between theoretical knowledge and real business practice is exactly what we try to address in our projects – through real simulations and real cases.

Our CEO Oleg Khusaenov once mentioned that to make a good decision, you do not need 100% of information – 80% is enough. This is something we emphasize in our educational programs. You cannot fully understand everything. It is impossible. But if you understand at least 80%, you can make a data-driven decision.

Why has talent development become a strategic issue for investment funds?

When decision-making talent becomes the main barrier for scaling, it is not just an HR problem. It becomes a strategic risk.

If we see this pattern across portfolio companies, it becomes a risk for the fund itself.

At Zubr Capital, we believe that value is created by three elements – leader, team, and capital. Without any one of these, a business will either not succeed or will not grow as fast as expected.

Without the right people, growth is impossible.

How does decision-making work in practice within your ecosystem?

We run two main initiatives for young professionals.

The first is the League of Analysts – a seven-month program where participants study finance, financial modeling, company valuation, and other finance-oriented subjects. In the AI era, when people often trust quick answers from tools like ChatGPT without understanding how they work, it is important to teach structured analysis.

We teach participants to analyze topics from different angles. At the end of the program, students complete a diploma project. They must not only propose a strategic alternative for a portfolio company but also calculate the financial impact and show how much value their solution could generate. The goal is to help founders make data-driven decisions.

Our lecturers are high-level specialists from Zubr Capital, which helps bring practical experience into the learning process.

The second initiative is Zubr Capital Young Hackathon. It is a decision-making stress test. In one day, participants must analyze a problem, create a product concept, develop an MVP, and pitch it to investors.

The time limit pushes students to be creative, collaborate closely, and produce one acceptable solution under pressure.

AI is widely used by young professionals. How should it be approached?

We are an AI-friendly company. We do not prohibit the use of AI tools. It is our reality.

AI tools can support decision-making. You can analyze more information and find more sources. But you cannot rely on the answers given by AI.

It is just a tool for sourcing, analyzing, and gathering information. All analytics should be done by the person.

You need structured approaches and frameworks. Responsibility for decisions always remains with the individual.

Can decision-making skills be evaluated during hiring?

It is difficult – especially when a candidate is well-prepared for an interview. An interview is one context. A working environment is different.

We use multi-step selection processes and discuss different cases. For young professionals applying to the League of Analysts, selection includes several stages.

The seven-month program allows us to observe participants in different conditions through student projects and group work. It is easier to make a final decision when you can analyze behavior over time, not just during a one-hour interview.

We combine education and internships. This long-term process helps us identify the most talented people for our company and portfolio companies.

Have job seekers changed over the past decade?

It is difficult to answer from a fully professional perspective. But from personal experience, the labor market shifts between employer-driven and employee-driven periods.

After COVID, remote work changed working conditions significantly. Some companies would like to return to the office, but for some professionals that is not acceptable.

The market is dynamic, and it is difficult to predict what will happen next.

What are your next initiatives?

We will continue both the League of Analysts and Zubr Capital Young Hackathon.

Applications for the League of Analysts are open until March 8 for students studying finance, mathematics, or economics.

We have already organized successful hackathons in Cyprus and Poland, and we plan to continue, including organizing the hackathon again in Cyprus this year.

We work closely with universities, especially in Cyprus, and promote our programs through student communities in Poland. We are open to new collaborations.

We are investing in the ecosystem, not just in individuals. We aim to help young professionals grow and support startups through events and initiatives.

We are not only about money. We are about leader, team, and capital.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE: