How to Build a Business Despite the War and Where to Find the Strength: Takeaways From the Fourth Forbes Ukraine CEO Summit

The fourth Forbes Ukraine CEO Summit took place in Kyiv on Oct. 1. The event brought together Ukrainian business leaders to discuss the key question of the day: how to build companies amid a draining war while preserving the energy of leaders, teams and organizations. “Among all the entrepreneurs I know closely, I haven’t seen a single one who gave up,” said Nova Poshta co-founder Viacheslav Klymov. Some of them have suffered millions in losses and keep working despite them.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. (Photo courtesy of Forbes) “Restructuring the operating model is not necessarily degradation or a loss of efficiency,” Klymov said. By decentralizing Nova Poshta’s system in response to Russian attacks, the team is finding ways to make its processes more efficient. Block 1. The Leader’s Energy In the block on the leader’s energy, Roman Yanovych, CEO of Nestlé in Ukraine and Moldova, and Khrystyna Kovtun, CEO of EKO market, shared their experience. Both are new to the CEO role: each took over their company in 2026. Yanovych spent his first 100 days rebuilding relationships with colleagues. His main tasks are to preserve the business’s efficiency and the global office’s confidence that investing in Ukraine makes sense. Kovtun’s priorities are aligning the team, setting a strategic direction and securing small wins that help people see results. Other Topics of Interest Shadow Tanker Hit by Ukrainian Drones Threatens Spill Off Russia's Black Sea Coast Russian officials say the situation is under control and there is no threat to the tourist industry or the environment. (Photo courtesy of Forbes) Kyivstar President Oleksandr Komarov spoke about the balance between short and long horizons, day-to-day work and change, speed and precision, results and care. Every four months, the company updates its forecasts through the end of the year, for the next 12 months and for the next three years. IDS Ukraine CEO Marko Tkachuk and MacPaw founder Oleksandr Kosovan discussed how a manager can avoid turning into a function. A leader’s condition affects how they manage people, and taking care of oneself becomes as much a responsibility as running the business, moderator Nataliia Kadia concluded. Block 2. The Team’s Energy The second block focused on the team’s energy. “An employer’s task is to create conditions and give people opportunities,” said Taras Chmut, head of the Come Back Alive foundation. The foundation covers employees’ visits to a psychologist, but its support does not end with payment: if a person has a session during working hours, the team’s job is to keep that slot free of meetings. In a conversation with Olena Zhyltsova, founder of the School of Managerial Thought, robota.ua CEO Valerii Reshetniak said the team is motivated by being needed in tackling the labor shortage. Citrus CEO Artem Shevchenko stressed the link between employees’ personal aspirations and the company’s goals. (Photo courtesy of Forbes) Nataliia Savchuk, deputy chair of PrivatBank’s management board, spoke about the resilience of operations. After a strike on the card personalization and logistics center, the bank resumed shipping cards a day later but reviewed its operating model: centralization had concentrated risks. The priority became the ability to restore operations through backup scenarios and locations. Block 3. The Organization’s Energy The third block focused on the energy of organizations. Jeff Smart, founder of ghSMART, shared advice from his bestseller “Who: The A Method for Hiring.” Among other things, he recommended systematically sourcing candidates through current employees, who know people they can recommend. (Photo courtesy of Forbes) RIEL developer CEO Oleksii Zozulia and Askania group of companies CEO Serhii Zhyla talked about the CEO’s role with Renata Delporte. Zozulia dreamed of becoming an architect and a tour guide; at the start of his career, he would advise himself not to hesitate and to study more theory. Zhyla wanted to be a writer and found in the CEO job a combination of systematic thinking and creativity. His advice: “Hire hungry people,” meaning those who want to prove something to themselves and the world. Khartiia founder Vsevolod Kozhemiako closed the summit, thanking the entrepreneurs who keep working and investing and stressing the mutual support between business and the military. “I am confident that the future will belong to us,” he said. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.