fFor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, the case is very clear. The management professor at the American University of Yale, says he himself, is just experiencing his 15 minutes of fame. Soon after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began, Sonnenfeld published a list of which Western companies had and hadn’t withdrawn from Russia. This provides plenty to talk about, and Sonnenfeld knows that too. The “list of shame”, as it is often called, led to numerous media inquiries, guest articles and interviews with well-known media from all over the world. Sonnenfeld does not hold back with his opinion, on the contrary: “If companies don’t boycott Russia, boycott the companies,” concludes an opinion piece by Sonnenfeld in the “New York Times”.
According to Sonnenfeld, there is only one right decision for companies in Russia because of the Ukraine war: they have to leave the country immediately. But is that really true? More than 600 companies have withdrawn so far – while some are pausing, others want to turn their backs on the country entirely. But others remain – to this day. Companies like Metro, Globus or Liebherr.