Business Wisdom Summit 2025: how business opens up opportunities in the storm
15 April 19:00
Ukrainian business confidently talked about growth and scaling, about the development strategy now, not after the war, at the Business Wisdom Summit held on April 11 in Kyiv. 600 participants, 40 leading Ukrainian top managers and international headliners spoke frankly about the economy under fire, money in chaos, technologies born on the battlefield, and the future of Ukraine. The event was hosted by Oksana Gutzeit, host of the ICTV program Fakty.
The discussion started with an expert interview with Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy. One of the key consequences of the new customs initiatives of the Donald Trump administration is the destabilization of the global economy. The U.S. actions trigger a chain reaction that could hurt Ukrainian exports not only through direct tariffs, but also through the responses of other global players.
So, how can we rebuild the economy and lay the foundation for the country’s future in the face of uncertainty? The Summit continued with the panel “Building Ukrainian”. Ruslan Shostak, President of TERWIN Corporation, founder of EVA and VARUS, suggested promising areas that the country should focus on.
“The economic well-being of the country directly depends on the scale of Ukrainian projects. Every $1 billion of investment can increase GDP by 0.5-1%. Global infrastructure projects not only inject funds into the economy, but also launch a multi-level chain of change. For us, as the owner and operator of one of the largest investment projects in Ukraine, it is important to create this multiplier effect,” said Ruslan Shostak.
The panelists, including Yevhen Kulikov, Head of Corporate Business at PrivatBank, and Igor Liski, founder of EFI Group, agreed that the path to a trillion-dollar economy lies in building a strong and self-sufficient industry with a high degree of localization.
The panel “Recovery: Investing in Ukraine’s Recovery” was dedicated not only to rebuilding the country, but also to changing the paradigms of the future. Ilya Poltakov, Director of New Business Development at , told how Kyivstar will help the country transform through major innovations. For example, by investing in Starlink, which changes the philosophy of network development. In his turn, Yevhen Riyako, attorney at law and managing partner of RIYAKO & PARTNERS, shared his positive sentiments about new guarantees for investors. A draft law on suspension of mask shows and indefinite arrests after a search is currently in the second reading.
Today, while Ukraine’s investment climate is being hardened by the war, the role of banks is changing from a lender to a co-creator of transformation. Leading experts Larysa Bondarieva (Raiffeisen Bank), Serhiy Magdych (FUIB), Pervin Dadashova (NBU), Andriy Semchenko (INGO Insurance Company), and Yulia Ponomarenko (AbInBev Efes Ukraine) outlined a new architecture of financing in an uncertain environment.
According to Mark Petkevych, CEO of NOVUS supermarket chain, Ukrainian business has to take responsibility for the stability of the economy.
However, even if businesses are ready to pay taxes and develop, they need stability from the government and long-term plans. In support of these words, Mauro Longobardo, CEO of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, said that ArcelorMittal has already invested $1 billion to support production in Ukraine. However, significant challenges, including rising energy prices, threaten the company’s competitiveness.
The panelists also touched upon the problem of staff shortages and the integration of veterans into civilian life after returning from the front. In his speech on the role of business in this process, Oleksandr Bogutskyi, CEO of Starlight Media, emphasized:
“By investing in products and services for veterans and their families, we fulfill an unspoken contract with society, conscience and values of the country. There are things that cannot be delegated: respect, support, recognition. And there are decisions in which business faces a choice – efficiency or values. But our task is to make sure that efficiency never crosses out humanity.”
At a time when the country’s recovery is a strategic vector, people become the main asset of business and the economy. Yevhen Shagov (AM System, GAMA Consulting) and Andriy Dligach (Advanter.ua) spoke about the best investment in turbulent times – investing in your own personal development, adaptability to the new world, and flexibility of your own mental health.
Metinvest Group Chief Operating Officer Sergiy Myronenko shared his concerns about the impact of US tariffs on Ukrainian exports, which could lead to similar measures by other players. Denys Morozov, Deputy CEO of Interpipe, agreed with these predictions and noted that this could lead to a significant reduction in production, as well as increased trade tensions in the markets.
Vasyl Yatsyshyn, Director of Mass Market Brands Management at Kormotech, shared his experience of launching a product in a new European market. A qualitative study of relevant channels and audience expectations from the product allowed Club 4 Paws to achieve 31% recognition among consumers, which is the entrance ticket to the market.
The Armory panel discussion made it clear that the Ukrainian defense industry is already creating solutions that the whole world needs. During his speech, KVERTUS CEO Yaroslav Filimonov said that the enemy’s massive use of advanced drones no longer requires the use of electronic warfare and electronic warfare systems, but rather an entire ecosystem. KVERTUS is working on deploying such an ecosystem that will integrate and synchronize electronic warfare and electronic warfare assets, allowing them to be controlled remotely and from various types of devices, even from a smartphone.
During the Business Wisdom Summit, the award ceremony for business leaders according to the magazine “TOP-100. RATINGS OF THE LARGEST”.
Organizers, business/media bureau Ekonomika and online media Delo.uaare grateful to our partners:
- general partner TERWIN,
- the main partner of Sense Bank,
- general information partner Starlight Media.
We also thank the coffee partner Foundation Coffee Roasters, the water partner Morshynska, the tasty partner Lantmannen Axa, the sweet partner BKK, the sparkling partner Latinium, and the alcohol partner AZNAURI.
And also to our media partners: Business Radio Group, ICTV 2, ICTV, 1 1 Media, Kyiv 24, Apostrophe Media Holding, Espresso.TV, and Pryamyy TV channel.
Online resources: “NV.ua, UNN, Kommersant Ukrainskyi, Liga Zakon, HiTech.Expert, Glavkom, Business Capital, xsport, Burda Media Ukraine, PaySpace Magazine, 44.ua, Postfactum, Pershyi biznesovyi, TrueUA, HR-Liga, Okhrana labor, Logist FM, Marketer.ua, Economist, Founder, ShoTam, as well as ADV EXPERT, Infovision, bc media, Gulliver, Osvita Dyvosvit, and the European Business Association and the Association of Ukrainian Banks.
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