Leadership
What Ukraine's businesses can teach us about leading through crisis
Ukraine's wartime businesses offer a real-world test of resilience under pressure. Their lessons on trust, competence and communication apply everywhere.
Mykhailo Bno-Airiian
Mykhailo Bno-Airiian is a Ukrainian statesman, diplomat, and leading expert in international communications, European integration, and energy policy, with more than fifteen years of professional experience at the intersection of government service, international economic relations, and large-scale structural reforms.
His career combines deep analytical expertise in international relations with hands-on leadership in the implementation of transformational policies in the energy sector, regional development, and public administration.
He currently serves as Vice President for Global Affairs at MHP, where he leads the function responsible for the company’s global operations and international cooperation. MHP is a vertically integrated international food and agribusiness group and one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of poultry and agricultural products, operating in more than 80 countries across the European Union, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The company plays a significant role in global food security and is internationally recognized for its innovations in sustainable development, particularly in achieving energy self-sufficiency through biogas and biomethane, and for promoting Ukraine’s green transition and export sustainability in the context of war. MHP works closely with leading international financial institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
In parallel with his corporate responsibilities, Mykhailo Bno-Airiian serves as a Special Trade Representative and heads the European Integration Committee of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, the country’s largest business association. In this role, he coordinates the private sector’s institutional participation in Ukraine’s integration into the EU Single Market, represents the Ukrainian business community in negotiations with key international partners, and contributes to the development of position papers and trade negotiation strategies. His work promotes structured dialogue with major European stakeholders, including the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EBRD, and BusinessEurope, and directly contributes to shaping the architecture of Ukraine’s future economic integration into the European Union.
Earlier in his career, he served in the Ukrainian diplomatic service and held senior positions in the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, including Deputy Minister, where he was responsible for European integration. He also served as Deputy CEO of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national electricity transmission system operator, overseeing international communications and cooperation. In these roles, he was directly involved in drafting and implementing the core legislation underpinning Ukraine’s electricity market reform and its integration into the European energy system ENTSO-E.
In 2019, he was appointed Governor of the Kyiv Region, where he introduced open governance instruments, launched anti-corruption reforms in public procurement, and implemented inclusive, transparent decision-making practices at the regional level.
Memberships and Distinctions:
- Special Trade Representative of Ukraine (private sector coordination)
- Head of the European Integration Committee, Federation of Employers of Ukraine
- Senior contributor to national energy and EU integration reforms
- Author of the first strategic framework on Ukrainian energy diplomacy
- Frequent speaker at international economic, energy, and policy forums
Professional expertise includes:
EU–Ukraine relations, energy and economic diplomacy, European integration policy, international trade negotiations, sustainable and resilient supply chains, strategic communications, and public–private dialogue in reform processes.
He is the author of the book “Strategies of Energy Diplomacy”, the first comprehensive strategic document on Ukrainian energy diplomacy, which formed the conceptual basis for Ukrenergo’s institutional strategy. He is also the head of an independent documentary film project and the author of three documentary films dedicated to systemic transformations in Ukraine’s education, healthcare, and public administration sectors.
Personal and intellectual interests include:
documentary storytelling, political analysis, institutional reform, modern governance models, and the role of economic diplomacy in strengthening state resilience and global integration.
Most Popular