UCU Business School invites you to the webinar “Four Years of Resilience: Purpose, Community, and Leadership from Ukraine,” dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The event illustrates how organizations and communities operate and remain viable under conditions of high uncertainty, disruption, and risk – and what leadership lessons from this experience can be applied far beyond a wartime context.
At the core of the discussion are real-life examples of leadership during crisis, including the story of an OKKO gas station in the village of Korotych, Kharkiv region, that was destroyed and reopened just two days later. This case raises a key question: how Ukrainians continue to sustain resilience in the fourth year of a war that has profound humanitarian and economic consequences.
This event is for business leaders, educators, and students who want to gain a deeper understanding of leadership, purpose, and community as sources of resilience in a prolonged crisis.
Case Spotlight:
The session is built around the presentation of a new Ivey Publishing case, “A Bombed Gas Station in Korotych, Kharkiv Region: The Spirit of Ukrainians Exemplified.” The case explores how purpose, community, and adaptive leadership help organizations restore operations, remain functional, and support people during crisis. Particular attention is given to key lessons in building resilience, including the role of purpose and staying connected through community hubs.
Speakers:
- Gerard Seijts – Professor, Ivey Business School;
- Sofiya Opatska – Founding Dean, UCU Business School; Vice-Rector for Strategic Development, Ukrainian Catholic University;
- Andy Hunder – President, American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine;
- Larisa Galadza – former Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine
During the session, we will explore:
- what leadership looks like in the absence of stability, resources, and predictability;
- resilience practices and the role of purpose, community, and values in sustaining organizational viability during crisis;
- approaches to using crisis-based cases in teaching leadership, strategy, and organizational behavior;
- which lessons from the Ukrainian experience are relevant in high-uncertainty environments.
Date and time: February 25, 15:00–16:00 Kyiv time, 8:00–9:00 AM EST
Format: online
Language: English
