Myron & Team Keep Things Moving at PBN Ukraine
 

Market leadership, blue chip clients and success in carrying out extremely tough assignments are some of the factors that make The PBN Company unique in Ukraine. What else differentiates PBN from our competitors? The answer is that our account managers and senior staff have been with the company almost as long as the firm has been in the market.

The Veterans

Veterans Myron Wasylyk, Oksana Monastyrska, Yevgeniy Kachalin, Marina Orlova, Zoya Pavlyk and the firm's CEO Peter B. Necarsulmer opened the PBN Ukraine office in March 1998 and are still at-it servicing clients today. The core team was rounded out shortly thereafter when Serhiy Movchan, a telecommunications expert, joined the firm.

Myron leads the team, providing strategic advice and counsel to PBN-Ukraine's growing client list, including corporate, government and nonprofit clients. Myron's dedication to PBN is matched only by his dedication to Ukraine. A Ukrainian-American, Myron moved to his parents' homeland more than 10 years ago. When he finishes his workday at PBN, Myron spends his time on an array of civic and business projects, including serving as Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, and serving as a fundraiser for the "Help Us Help The Children" orphan fund and the Ivan Franko Drama Theater.

Serhiy Movchan, who came from Utel, the country's long-distance and international telephone operator, joined the PBN team as Deputy Managing Director and Director for Public Affairs. Today, Serhiy devotes his time to intellectual property issues, the development of Ukraine's dynamic telecommunications industry, and complicated taxation policies.

In between writing case-stories and "how-to" communications pieces for business journals, Oksana Monastyrska manages a range of clients from consumer goods to investment management companies. A lawyer by training, Oksana has designed and managed communications strategies for some of Ukraine's high profile court actions and investment disputes.

From opening cinema theatres to developing a school, orphan or wildlife preservation sponsorship opportunity, no task is too complicated for Yevgeniy Kachalin. In addition to his world travels and Red-diploma in geography, Yevgeniy can give you up-to-the-minute cinema box office revenues and pop music hit lists for seven continents. Not to mention market leaders and newsmakers.

Nothing in PBN gets beyond Marina Orlova! A child of parents serving in the Soviet Military, Marina's checklist is always timely, efficient and well-organized. And whether it's a logistical problem for a 250-person reception or bailing a client out of temporary detention in the Russian Federation Customs Zone, Marina comes to the rescue.

If you want to know what's going to be in tomorr ow's news clips today, ask Zoya Pavlyk. Every word written or spoken in Ukraine's tri-lingual news media is categorized and filed in a database at Zoya's fingertips. Not to mention every reporter's phone number!

The Heavy-Hitters

A regular face in the Rada's Defense and National Security Committee, former MP Ihor Derkach joined the firm in 1999 as Director for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. From guided missiles, Ihor now charts and counsels companies in the areas of product regulations, health standards, labeling and certification. Ihor also follows legislative developments in the Rada and in his spare time, devotes himself to religious community causes.

From privatizing the first shops in the Kyiv City Podil District Administration, to privatizing Ukraine's steel and metals giants while at the State Property Fund of Ukraine, veteran government-hand Alla ("she-really-does-know-everybody") Platonova joined the PBN team in 2000. Not one to forget a face, today Alla develops legislative strategies and opens government doors for PBN clients and friends.

Whether reporting on political news for Radio Liberty or covering a business story for Kyiv's newest television station, Iryna Panich knows the behind the scenes tricks of the trade in radio and television. After all, she's advised many high-profile Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, MP's and MP-wanna-be's on developing key messages and demonstrating how to look and sound good in front of the camera.

The Analysts

Although one never knows if cold-calling will provide any results, at least for Alexander Sabadosh it landed him a job at PBN. A graduate of the prestigious Kyiv Mohyla Academy, when Alex corrects PBN's Wasylyk on geographic indications requirements in Ukraine's intellectual property rights legal framework, people listen!

Oil & gas players, drillers, refiners and transporters are all within Natalie Sedova's reach. From the US to the Urals, no oil & gas news gets past this 20-something researcher who provides up-to-date news for top fuel officials.

The Smiles

Always willing to make someone's life more manageable and less chaotic are a whole host of devoted employees: receptionists Alyona Skripka and Christina Kosonotska; I.T. Manager Valeriy Chubukin; Chief Accountant Natalia Bogoslavska; drivers Mykola Zaharchuk and Valentin Klimovich; and security coordinator Serhiy Fateyenko.