Community Leaders of UCU Business School: Alumni Awards 2024
This year’s alumni gathering was unlike any other, as leadership in our community is evolving, just as the surrounding contexts continue to change. This time, it was important not only to review achievements but also to provide something new—a chance to test oneself, gain new skills, and explore management ideas.
The event was organized in traditional cooperation with UCU Business School and supported by our long-term partner, the Ihor Ihnatovych Leadership Institute at Ivey Business School at Western University (London, Ontario, Canada).
“The main value of studying at UCU Business School is the community,” is what nearly everyone who joins us says, and its diversity, strength, and support truly shine during alumni gatherings. Entrepreneurs, managers, defenders, and veterans — those who graduated more than 10 years ago as well as recent alumni — all met to share achievements and discuss leadership challenges.
This year’s theme was “Managing Teams in Critical Situations.” The day began with a morning training on tactical medicine and weapons handling, followed by a simulation exercise where participants practiced their newly acquired skills.
After the active morning session, everyone gathered for the Alumni Awards ceremony, which included a surprise guest — former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi . He shared his personal leadership experiences.
During the Alumni Awards, nominees presented the stories behind their projects, highlighting their contributions to the country’s development, community support, and global expansion:
🏆 The Business Breakthrough Award 2024
👤 Anton Skrypnyk , MSc in Technology Management 2015 graduate, heads Roboneers, a leading producer of ground robotic systems for combat in Ukraine. Anton and his team aim to protect Ukrainian soldiers through technology, so that “robots, not people, do the fighting.” In 2023, their project “ShaBlya” was recognized as the most promising military-tech project by DOU.
🏆 The Leadership through Resilience Award 2024
👤 Oleksii Havrysh , a 2023 Key Executive MBA graduate, developed ARMOR, a graphic-calculation system enabling the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct fire from covered positions, increasing safety and accuracy in target engagement.
🏆 Service and Impact Award 2024
👤 Olesia Dyachyshyn, a 2022 Key Executive MBA graduate and co-founder of LifesaverSIM, the first mobile game simulator for tactical medicine and first aid. In July 2024, LifesaverSIM won first place in a competition organized by the Ministry of Defense for the best simulator for the Defense Forces.
🏆 The Global Outreach Award 2024
👤 Kateryna Glazkova, a 2023 Key Executive MBA graduate, leads the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP), which opened an office in Warsaw in June 2024 to support Ukrainian business integration into the EU market. In October, SUP became the first Ukrainian business association invited to Business at OECD (BIAC), allowing SUP members to participate in Policy groups alongside representatives from 55 countries.
🏆 Alumni Networking Guru Award 2024
👤 Olena Sozanska, a 2019 Key Executive MBA graduate, founded and actively develops an Alumni Book Club to strengthen connections among alumni. Founded in 2021, the club held nine meetings in 2024, featuring three authors, and visited six alumni-run companies.
We congratulate our winners and take pride in those whose projects and achievements, though not awarded this year, continue to make a significant impact.
Read more about this year’s winners in the article.
Naturally, we did not miss the opportunity to organize a charitable initiative. Together with the Always Ukraine Charitable Foundation, a charity lottery and silent auction were held to support our alumnus Roman Nykylyshyn and the 10th Edelweiss Assault Brigade. During the event, participants had the chance to bid on exclusive art pieces from Shum Art Gallery, a signed flag by Valerii Zaluzhnyi , Oleh Skrypka’s signature wine, T-shirts by Ulyana Krekhovets, and other gifts from our community.
The online lottery and fundraising will continue until November 18. For more details, visit: https://lvbs.top/9o73.
Thank you to everyone who joined this gathering—it’s invaluable to be united with you in times like these and find inspiration for new, important ventures.
