At first glance, little in the candidate's record distinguished her.
She was a recent immigrant to America with a pronounced Russian accent and not yet culturally assimilated. Her degree appeared to be a BA in Russian literature from Chelyabinsk State University. The transcript, in Russian, did not correspond to American course schedules or grading criteria.
An English translation of her transcript shed little additional light. By the conclusion of Teton Sands vetting process, however, it was clear the candidate was an exceptional find.
Chelyabinsk turned out to be rougly equalivant to the University of Wisconsin. (Not generally perceived as prestigious as “Ivy League,” Wisconsin nevertheless produces more Fortune 500 CEOs than any other university.)
In addition to literature, she had completed advanced courses in mathematics, computer science, linguistics, and Medieval Russian. Total coursework was equivalent to more than an MA in philology.
Finally, despite competing with Russia’s brightest and best -- laggards are weeded out of Russian academies at an early age -- she graduated in the top 1% of her class with a 4.96 equivalent on a 5.0 American scale.
A flatter world, intensely completive markets make such global hunts for talent crucial. Organizations that rely on “above average” soon find they’re not in the game.
