Leadership, transformation, mental health in the labor market: Alex Polin HR Summit 2025 was held in Kyiv
On April 10, 2025, the key event of the year in the field of talent management — Alex Polin HR Summit — took place in Kyiv. The event brought together more than 300 HR directors, CEOs, business owners, managers and experts who work on the engagement, development and motivation of teams. The summit became a platform for dialogue about the future of HR strategies, current challenges and the transformation of corporate culture. The motto of the summit: “Leadership. Transformation. Mental Health”. The general media partner of the event was 1+1 media.
The organizer of the event is the executive search company Alex Polin Executive search.
More than 25 top speakers took the stage — the most influential thought leaders, CEOs, HRDs from leading companies: SAP, Henkel, Novus, UKRNAFTA, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Netpeak Group, MHP, Ukrposhta, KNESS, UKRSIBBANK, Credit Agricole, Biosfera Corporation, EPAM, Takeda Ukraine, Work.ua, AIMS International, Enzym Group, Ciklum and other companies.
The welcoming speech was delivered by Tetyana Sherman, Head of Marketing and Communications at Academy DTEK, who also acted as the moderator of the event. Tetyana set the tone for the summit: lively, open, energetic. Her words were not just a greeting, but a call for sincerity, unity and meaningful leadership.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology - Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, in his video address outlined new horizons of leadership in the era of digitalization. He emphasized the importance of flexibility, speed of decision-making, the implementation of AI in HR processes and the OKR system as an effective tool for increasing efficiency.
The panel discussion "Scaling and Development of Companies in Conditions of Uncertainty" brought together Andriy Tsegelyk (CEO, Enzym Group), Maria Panchenko (Director of Transformations, Aurora multimarket chain) and Artur Mikhno (CEO, Work.ua). It was moderated by Natalia Lukash. The participants shared the practices of building sustainable development strategies, forming an attractive culture in conditions of personnel shortage and adapting business to new challenges.
Kateryna Zaloznykh, HR Director of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, presented a case study on HR management in an industrial giant during a war. She talked about attracting young people, breaking gender stereotypes, and opening up technical professions for women.
Oleksiy Onyshchuk (CEO, AIMS International) and Volodymyr Pedko (CEO, Takeda Ukraine) presented an approach to creating a strong employer brand through the international Best Places to Work certification. They described the step-by-step certification algorithm and its impact on corporate culture and employee engagement.
Olena Artazey, HR Director of UKRNAFTA, shared tools for creating a value employer brand in times of crisis, approaches to retaining talent, building trust, and a unique EVP in unstable conditions.
The CEO and HR director panel discussion "Mental Health as a Strategic Priority" moderated by Hanna Adom brought together Anastasia Gromova (MHP), Olena Urusova (Credit Agricole Ukraine), Olena Efremova (Henkel Ukraine) and Viktoriya Zheldak (Biosphere Corporation). The speakers discussed the impact of burnout on business performance, the importance of a culture of mental health care, examples of integrating preventive measures into HR processes and self-support strategies for managers. The panel discussion "The Role of HRD 2025 vs 2030" moderated by Alena Kavka brought together Natalia Galunko (UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas), Yulia Pylypenko (Catholic Community Services, Canada) and Sergey Bulavin (corporate governance expert). Participants discussed the transformation of the role of HR in the world and in Ukraine, expectations from HRD by management, as well as career planning and the impact of HR on human capital development.
An interview with Artem Borodatyuk, founder of Netpeak Group, was conducted by Maria Shubtsova (Ciklum). Artem shared approaches to leadership, the role of humor in maintaining the emotional stability of the team, challenges when making difficult decisions, and the balance between freedom and high standards.
The panel discussion "Leadership: from war to peace" was an in-depth discussion of leadership challenges during and after the war. The moderator was Hanna Mikulitska (CEO, SAP Ukraine). Mark Petkevych (CEO, Novus), Vyacheslav Zaporozhets (CEO, Titanovi Rehab) and Ihor Smilyansky (CEO, Ukrposhta) shared their thoughts. They talked about resilience, teams’ readiness for new realities and how to start building a post-war strategy today.
The summit culminated in an interview with Olena Borisova, CEO GastroFamily. Moderator — Yevgeny Komarov, BDO, Global Law Law Firm. In a candid conversation, Olena shared her experience in building a service culture, maintaining efficiency in stressful conditions and finding a balance between business and personal life.
The final chord was a raffle of gifts from the event’s partners.
“Our task was to create a bright, useful and large-scale business event. And we succeeded! I would like to thank every speaker, partner and participant for creating a unique atmosphere of dialogue, inspiration and new opportunities,” noted the summit organizer Oleksandr Polyanchuk.
The event partners were:
Title partner – Work.ua
General partner – AIMS International
Official partners – INGO insurance company, UKRNAFTA, ArcelorMittal, FUIB, PWC.
Gifts for speakers – from L’Oréal, the world leader in beauty.
General media partner – 1+1 Media
Coffee partner – “Ascania FMCG” (Lavazza)
Partners – Alviva Group, Silpo Resto, Avalon.
Media partners of the event are the Ukrainian Association of HR Professionals (HR Pro), Economist, Hurma, EBA, NewRealGoal, Labor Protection and Fire Safety, The Page, STUD-POINT, Lviv HRD Association, Founder, Marketer.
A photo report of the event can be viewed on the official Alex Polin HR Summit Facebook page.
Event details on the summit website www.ukr-hr-summit.com
