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How to Grow a Global Business During Wartime: Rostyslav Vovk Moderated a Key Panel at KIEF
On October 16, at the Kyiv International Economic Forum, Rostyslav Vovk, CEO and Co-founder of Kormotech, joined Andriy Zdesenko, Founder and CEO of Biosphere Corporation, to co-moderate a panel discussion titled “International Business in Ukraine: Growth Potential.”
Despite the war, international companies continue to operate in Ukraine – and some are even entering the market for the first time. This reflects the country’s resilience and its ongoing appeal to foreign businesses, even in the most challenging times.
Among the panelists were:
▶️ Topi Paananen, CEO of Peikko Group
▶️ Maksym Barabash, CEO of Philip Morris Ukraine
▶️ Thomas Brunner, CEO of Agroplus 2006
▶️ Adam Sikorski, Chairman of the Board, UNIMOT S.A. (Poland)
▶️ Maryna Pavliuk, CEO of Glovo Ukraine
“We’re learning to balance challenges and opportunities. But for investors, that’s not enough. They want clear answers: What will the tax system look like? How will human capital evolve? What industrial clusters are taking shape? As long as businesses take on the risks, the state must provide a predictable framework. It’s the government’s job to support entrepreneurship – including foreign investment actively,” emphasized Rostyslav Vovk.
Today, Ukraine is closer to the world than ever before. English fluency, digitalization, and openness to global cooperation are narrowing the gap between local businesses and international markets. But the most significant driver is entrepreneurial energy.
As Thomas Brunner, one of the speakers – former Marketing Director at Henkel Ukraine and now founder of Agroplus 2006 – pointed out:
“In Ukraine, you can launch quickly, fail fast, test ideas, and scale up. There’s a spirit of entrepreneurship here that fuels innovation and bold decisions.”
Glovo Ukraine, for instance, contributes up to 0.4% of the country’s GDP and is among the company’s top three markets globally. Both Glovo and Kormotech rank in the Top 100 taxpayers in Ukraine, according to Delo.ua.
One of the panel’s key takeaways: copying EU regulations isn’t the answer. Ukraine needs its own adaptive model and a national development strategy. Businesses are ready to invest – but only if the rules are clear.
“We can’t wait for victory to move forward. Business is already taking action. Now it’s time for the government to do the same – with transparency, structure, and a long-term vision. Only then can potential turn into real progress,” concluded Rostyslav Vovk.