From gas trading and barter in the late 90s to executive director of Ukraine’s largest media organization
I am an entrepreneur (Internews Ukraine, Compions.Agency) and a manager with a “long-distance” perspective in the service business, where people, not machines, deliver the main results. My professional background is in finance and management. I began my career in the late 90s at a gas trading company, working in the international department. It was a time when the market operated through barter, and we had to find ways to turn gas into “cash” for operational needs.
A key stage was my work at the NGO “Internews Ukraine.” I joined as a finance manager and grew into the role of executive director in three years. My story with this organization has now spanned more than 20 years, most of which I spent as executive director. Moving from Kryvyi Rih to Kyiv, and later to Portugal (I now live in Lisbon), changed not only my geography but also my understanding of resilience, systems, and leadership. I learned to manage a team remotely and in circumstances where “normality” can end at any moment.
In business, I think in terms of constant experimentation. For me, stability and calm are not the ultimate goal, but a signal of possible stagnation. So I systematically review my own decisions, approaches, and habits. If everything looks too good, it means it is time to seek new challenges and opportunities for growth.
Cossacks explained healthcare reform, while footballers fought violence — that’s how Compions was born
How did the business idea come about?
The idea of creating the Compions agency grew naturally out of many years of work at the NGO “Internews Ukraine.” It is Ukraine’s largest media organization, which has spent 30 years developing independent Ukrainian media through grant and technical support, as well as educational programs.
Over time, people began coming to us not only for media support, but also for help communicating social issues effectively — in a way people could understand and the media could cover accurately.
In practice, we were moving in two directions: developing media while also helping institutions and projects cover issues of public importance. For example, we raised awareness of discrimination and violence against women through street actions and a special calendar featuring footballers; and explained healthcare and energy reforms in videos in the style of the cult animated film “How the Cossacks…”.
Eventually it became clear that these areas required different business models. So we focused the NGO’s work on media development and created the Compions agency, which provides a full range of communications services — from developing brand strategies to implementing information campaigns. At the same time, we retained our focus on ethical and socially meaningful communications.
Systematic management and a readiness to experiment constantly — two foundations for growth
What key skills helped you launch the business?
Two groups of skills formed the basis for growth.
The first is systematic management of a service business: the ability to build structures and processes in operations, human resources, finance, and information technology so that the management team always understands the state of affairs, can rely on data, and make informed decisions.
The second is a readiness to experiment constantly. I consciously push back against excessive stability because I consider it a risk to development. I regularly review approaches and test new ways of working, products, team collaboration, and entering markets.
Startup pace after the nonprofit sector, banking restrictions, and shelling
What are the 3 most difficult challenges you faced in the early years?
The first challenge was building a team ready to work at a startup pace. Some employees came from the nonprofit sector, and the differences in corporate cultures became apparent. The pace of constant change is often difficult for those accustomed to greater stability. That’s why it is important for us to work with people for whom experimentation is a natural part of the professional environment.
The second challenge was martial law and banking restrictions, which complicated international financial transactions, working with foreign currencies, and transfers abroad.
The third was the daily impact of the war on the team. When people experience shelling at night and have to brainstorm and manage client processes during the day, it significantly affects productivity and stamina.
The crisis became a catalyst for reaching business clients
What crises has your business faced, and how have you overcome them?
One of the most significant crises in recent years was linked to market changes after Donald Trump became president of the United States for the second time and some American contracts were halted.
For “Internews Ukraine,” this meant a substantial drop in revenue, since a significant share of its funding was linked to the US government. Because the NGO and the agency are closely connected, the crisis affected the agency as well.
Revenue diversification and a deliberate strengthening of areas that had previously been secondary helped us emerge from the crisis. For the agency, this meant a strategic shift toward more active work with businesses.
People who have been on the team for 10–20 years, and reputational capital as the main asset
What decisions proved most effective for growing the company?
The company’s greatest growth came from focusing on the team as the key asset of a service business.
Sales are largely based on clients’ experiences: often everything starts with a small project, then the collaboration expands, and clients recommend us to others.
That’s why I deliberately invest in the team and think long term. Some people have worked with me for many years: some for more than 10, others for almost 20. We don’t see employees as a temporary resource “for a project,” and this continuity is what earns us clients’ trust, long-term contracts, and reputational capital for the business.
