“Russian people are not going to stop having sex any more than British people are,” Watts, 52, said in an interview in London. “We are not immune from the downturn, but it is a bit like Pizza Hut: If you are not going out, then you might be willing to drop a five-pound vibrator ring into your trolley.”

Kraft Foods Inc., Alcoa Inc. and Volkswagen AG are among companies that halted expansion plans and curtailed production in eastern European countries as their economies and currencies slumped.

Since joining SSL in 2001, Watts has pushed the London-based company to expand outside its home market, entering eastern Europe last year by buying a 15.5 percent stake in Beleggingsmaatschappij Lemore BV for £24.6 million.

Source: Bloomberg