- Frederick Richmond Andresen
Frederick Richmond Andresen is an international businessman with over forty years of
entrepreneur ial experience inAsia ,Europe , and recentlyRussia . His recently released book, "Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia" is based on his sixteen years of successful experience in that rapidly changing economy. Readers have raved that Andresen gives an enjoyable understanding of the Russian without having to read a thousand pages. For his many interests, world travel, business success, and love of the arts, he is often called a "renaissance man."Biography
Born in
El Paso, Texas , he was raised in the WestTexas desert at a compressor station on the pipeline that pumped gas from Texas to Southern California defense factories. His parents were Europeanimmigrant s; his father a machinist, the son of a Norwegian sea captain, and his mother from the "German Texas" settlements settled from the Alsace in the 1840s. From that individualist childhood he developed a self-confidence that served him well in his business entrepreneurship in America and abroad. After education atColorado State University , service in theU.S. Army , and thenThunderbird School of Global Management , his international experience continued across Asia, Europe and most recently Russia.Childhood
The youngest in a family of three sisters, Fred Andresen was influenced by his father, Arthur, a Master
Machinist , educated and trained inNorway . From a penniless immigrant he became the master technician who kept the big compressor engines going in all the pumping stations on theEl Paso Natural Gas Company pipeline from Texas to SouthernCalifornia duringWorld War II . He invented the pressure-weld pipeline system still used today. Delka, Andresen's mother was from the German settlements near San Antonio, Texas. Her family tree reaches back to the 1650s in Alsace.Andresen grew up as a loner on the desert, exploring with his
rifle anddog . From that he became an expertrifleman , winning top national awards. In spite of hismarksmanship , he concluded at a young age that the gun was meant for only one thing, to kill, and he was determined to shoot only at targets. From the desert he also learned to respect the plants and animals, scarce as they were. He was aBoy Scout andExplorer Scout winning many top awards and studied the Southwestern Indians and prehistoric sites.During World War II, living near
Fort Bliss , he witnessed the desert training of the cavalry and infantry, even accompanying the troops on maneuver. He was arrested once, at age twelve, dressed as an officer, for walking into the Fort Bliss headquarters of the German rocket scientists, includingWernher Von Braun . He followed the European campaign with a large map on his bedroom wall. He early developed an interest in Russia. His middle sister, a Russophile in college, shared with him Russian literature and music. But also he read heavily intoJules Verne , the popular Western writers, historical accounts of theAmerican Revolution , and theWar of 1812 , particularly thenaval battles .Like any Texas desert boy, he was driving an old Ford by the time his was sixteen. This enabled him to attend a preferred high school in El Paso and to take long trips in the summer to Canada and all over America. He also worked as a sales clerk in a downtown department store after school.
Education and Military
At Colorado State University, Andresen majored in
Forestry , minoring inBotany andMilitary Science . He wasCadet Lt. Colonel in theReserve Officers Training Corps , theDeputy Regimental Commander , and graduated asDistinguished Military Graduate . He refused aRegular Army Commission , opting for a short stay and eventually a business career. AfterOfficer Training School , Andresen was shipped toKorea where he commanded aplatoon of tanks in the 21stInfantry Division on the DMZ. He also commanded the winning 24th Division Rifle team. The military developed in Andresen his interest inforeign culture s andtravel . After marrying Betty Palmer of Phoenix, he enrolled in the top ranked Thunderbird School of Global Management on aMonsanto Chemical scholarship and was afterward hired in 1958 by Monsanto inSpringfield, Massachusetts to manage theirMiddle East chemical export business.Business
Leaving big business for the entrepreneurial world, Andresen joined the industrial consulting firm of
Geoffrey Ladhams Associates and managed assignments in majortextile andcomputer technology fields. He started his own company in Massachusetts, Scandia Trading Co., in 1962. The company brand SKYR became a leader in theski and activesportswear field with show rooms inNew York and national representation. Resourcing inSwitzerland andJapan and manufacturing in theUnited States , Japan,Hong Kong ,China and other Asian countries, Scandia was known forfashion , quality, and value. On the side he and his wife restored colonial era homes,National Historic Sites , in Massachusetts andVermont . This love of history continued after the move to Vermont where Cevas, anotherskiwear company was founded. Andresen was elected president of the national trade organization, Ski Industries America, 1972-74. He is particularly adept in themulticultural international business world, where abilities to identify, analyze, develop, and manage opportunities are critical. He has a proven history of turning opportunities into viable business ventures on the foundation of reliable relationships leading to sustainable associations that work.Moving to
Southern California , Andresen first started areal estate company but soon answered the urge to look abroad for opportunities. With others he founded DirectNet Telecommunications, asatellite telecom company with operations centered inMoscow andSt. Petersburg, Russia . His initial trip in 1991 laid the groundwork and in 1992 the company erected the first civilian satellite telecom link between central Moscow and the U.S. Supported by his partners inCalifornia , DirectNet quickly earned a reputation for quality, economy, and service in the multi-national enterprise market including theAmerican Embassy and an enviable list ofFortune 1000 companies as well as major Russian entities. Living in Russia for six years (1992-1998) Andresen was a founding member of theAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Russia. He was honored asOutstanding American Pioneer in Russia by theRussian-American Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. He expanded intoCentral Europe , launching DirectNet inPrague .His capabilities cover the full range of business disciplines with strengths in corporate organization,
human resources , marketing, sales, and international relations. Andresen is presently Chairman and President of Prioritel Holdings, Inc. with advanced telecom holdings in Russia active. Specific interests currently are the convergence of telecom and data, especially the explosion of theInternet as the dominant medium of information accessibility and product distribution.Writing
From his travel and foreign
residence a broad interest developed in other cultures andcultural conflict resolution, leading to writing, bothhistorical fiction andnon-fiction . "Walking on Ice: An American Businessman in Russia," is highly reviewed in Russia Profile magazine. See http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=978-1-4327-1352-2 Two novels ("The Faberge Clock" and "The Lady with an Ostrich Feather Fan") set part or wholly in Russia are now in progress and another ("Dos Gringos") based on his Norwegian immigrant father's escapades in theMexican Revolution . Articles and essays have appeared in various business and general interestmagazine s andjournal s. In addition to writing he has received awards forphotography . He is active in thearts ,music , andliterature .Awards and Other Interests
Active culturally, Andresen is on the board of
Chamber Orchestra Kremlin , and he founded Promusica Russia, a non-profit organization. He received theWilliam E. Morgan Alumni Achievement Award , 2005 from Colorado State University. He is president of theLos Angeles /Saint Petersburg Sister City Committee supporting charities in that Russian city and cultural exchanges. He is one of the few American members of The World Wide Club of Petersburgers, an elite St. Petersburg culturalclub .External links
* [http://www.fandresen.com/ Official Author's Web Site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.