Team

• PhD, Founding Dean and Head of the Advisory Council of the UCU Business School.
• Vice-Rector for Strategic Development at the Ukrainian Catholic University.
• Member of the Supervisory Board of Promprylad.Renovation.
• Her areas of expertise are Organizational Behavior and Learning Organizations, Organization Development, Entrepreneurship.

Background:

Sofiya Opatska received her education from Ivan Franko University in Lviv, a degree in International Economic Relations, and defended her thesis work in Management and Human Capital Development, a member of the Board of Directors of European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE). She studied at Executive Education programs the University of Michigan Business School (USA), IEDC- Bled School of Management (Slovenia), China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and had on-the- job training at InnoSpace Company (Denmark) and at the Warsaw School of Economics (Poland). In 2017, she was on a semester fellowship at Nanovic Institute of European Studies, University of Notre Dame (USA). Sofiya Opatska is a founder and supervisor of the Global Shapers project in Lviv and an Advisory Board member at the Emaus Center. 

Work Experience:

From 2001 to 2004 she held the position of the MBA Program Director at the Lviv Institute of Management. From 2004 to 2007 Ms. Opatska worked as MBA Director at Kyiv Mohyla Business School (kmbs). In 2007 she worked on building the personnel development and training system for Concern Galnaftogaz OJSC. She is Founding Dean of Lviv Business School at the Ukrainian Catholic University, which she had been leading for 10 years. From 2016 Sophia is Vice Rector Academic Affairs at the Ukrainian Catholic University and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of LvBS.

Career history:

Her areas of expertise are Organizational Behavior and Learning Organizations, Organization Development, Entrepreneurship. Sophia is a contributor to a number of cases on above topics in the context of Central and Eastern Europe and specifically Ukraine which is still overcomming its post communist past. Her focus at work is – creation of Entrepreneurial University and ecosystem around it.

Master in Management in Foreign Economic Activity of Companies at Lviv National Polytechnic University. Studied economics at the University of Coventry (UK). Experience in project management in ‘Nordpraktik’ program (Stockholm, Sweden). After that – initiated several successful projects in Ukraine, including franchising projects. 15 years of practical experience in business, including management and development of family business, launching and management of start-ups. Representation of foreign companies interests in Ukraine.

17 years of experience in finance and accounting. Skilled in financial planning of organization activity, optimization of company taxation, and financial accounting. Holds a degree in ‘Finances’ of Lviv Polytechnic National University.

Nataliia holds an MA in French Philology and MA in Economics from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. She also graduated from KMBS and MIM programs in marketing and finance. Nataliia gained 15 years of practical experience in Ukrainian and international companies. She worked as a Marketing Director at Concern Galnaftogaz, L’OREAL, Egis, and Lafarge. Moreover, she was in private consulting in strategic marketing and business development for 7 years. Before joining the LvBS team, Nataliia spent 3 years in the private education sector: she developed the concept of an international bilingual school, created and tested innovative career guidance programs, and trained teachers.

Nataliia studied at the program “Fundamentals of designing the educational experience” (School of Education), as well as delivered lectures on communications and HR marketing.

Received a specialist diploma in Tourism Management. Graduated from postgraduate studies at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin majoring in Human Resources Management. Has worked in the Training and Development department in IT company for 5 years. She is a member of a non-government organization since 2014, and coordinating the all-Ukrainian charity action “St. Nicholas won’t forget about you”. Participated in the international youth educational projects and programs, such as EU program “Youth in Action” and ERASMUS + in Poland, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg. At the moment, is the Chief Operation Officer of LvBS.

Master’s degree in Accounting and Auditing, Lviv Commercial Academy. More than 8 years experience in the field of sales. Participation in the organization of international trips and conferences. Worked in the field of hospitality and tourism for lengthy period.

Loves to travel in her free time.

She graduated from the Faculty of Geography at Ivan Franko Lviv National University (LNU). She studied the MA at Non-profit Management Program at the Institute of Leadership and Management of Ukrainian Catholic University ILM (UCU). She coordinated the activity and development of Lviv Family Hub.

She has seven years’ work experience in an international company’s sales department in the FMCG sphere; she gained experience in creating and implementing a new project in the Western region of Ukraine. She worked in the Marketing Department team, and she was the Head of Development at Raphael Pilgrimage Centre of Lviv Archdiocese of UGCC. She gained experience in strategic planning, writing and implementing projects; among them, educational courses for youth at the Patriarchal Commission on Youth Affairs (PCoYA) of UGCC. She participated in UCU BS corporate program “Building an Effective Organization” for PCoYA of UGCC. She worked in a team of people who organize Viter Nadii – the All-Ukrainian Youth Festival.

Here at UCU Business School, she works as the Manager of the Alumni Association and the UCU BS Community.

Over 15 years of experience in higher education, including teaching, project development and management (including international cooperation), and administration of educational processes. Completed professional internships and collaborated with business schools in the Baltic countries (Estonian Business School, Vilnius University Business School). Launched and developed business education programs. As part of private initiatives, designed courses on creativity and entrepreneurship for children and teenagers.

In addition to academic and educational activities, engaged in business consulting and mentoring. Served as a mentor for the educational project by UN Women and NGO Impact Force, “Dream and Achieve” (2023), and for the national acceleration program “Vlasne: From Dream to Your Own Business” (2024), implemented by the Diia.Business network of entrepreneurship support centers with the support of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

PhD in Economics (Enterprise Economics and Management), Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Organizational Development at UCU. Research interests include organizational development, humanistic management, and organizational resilience. Author of publications in academic and business journals, participant in international scientific and practical conferences.

Graduate of the Bodynamic Foundation Training program at the Danish Institute of Somatic Psychology, Bodynamic International.

Member of the Association for the Development of the Person-Centered Approach.

Member of the Lithuanian Scientific Society.

Igor Blystiv is the Marketing Director and Director of Innovation at Kormotech. Member of the Academic Council and Director of the MSc in Marketing Management program, instructor of the MSc in Innovations and Entrepreneurship program. Academic leader and instructor of the Marketing for Business Management Development program. Founder of the UA MARKETING CLUB. Graduate of the Key Executive MBA UCU Business School master’s program.

He has over 15 years of marketing experience. Areas of expertise include strategic marketing, brand creation and development, brand portfolio management, and brand promotion in the Ukrainian and export markets. Achievements in 14 years at Kormotech include leadership in the pet food market in Ukraine (2015-2017), products represented in 20 countries, TM “Miau” as the #1 brand in the category and the largest brand on the market, TM “Club 4 paws” as one of the three largest pet food brands in Ukraine, creation of the Optimeal brand and entry into EU markets, and entry of the Optimeal brand into the US market. Trust has been established in Kormotech as a manufacturer of European-level products.

Mykola Maksymenko is the Director of the Master in Technology Management. Mykola holds the position of AVP of R&D at SoftServe, is a Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics, and is a scientist. He has taken R&D to a new level at the company. His teams have received recognition and awards on an international level. They develop unique technologies based on the latest scientific discoveries, such as quantum computing and emotional recognition, and participate in the Horizon 2020 program.

Mykola is a graduate of the MSc in Technology Management program and a lecturer at the Lviv Business School of UCU. Previously, he worked in science at the Max Planck Institute for Complex Systems (Germany) and the Weizmann Institute (Israel).

Director of the Master in Innovations and Entrepreneurship at the UCU Business School.

Alumni of the MSc in Innovations and Entrepreneurship program 2018. Initiated the SaveUkraine project, a volunteer initiative aimed at providing humanitarian assistance to people in hot and critical areas.
Nominee for the LvBS Alumni Awards 2022.

Entrepreneur, co-founder of FreshBar, and game engineer in the “market battle” project. He was the founder and co-organizer of all three TEDxLviv, where he led the speaker training team. Three years ago, he co-founded keywords.agency, which helps speakers and teams convey their ideas through public speaking. Deep expertise in marketing helps to understand the target audience and select messages to suit their needs.

Olena is the academic leader of the Key Executive MBA program. She holds a Ph.D. and is an associate professor with 19 years of teaching experience in economics at Lviv Polytechnic National University – Institute of Economics and Management, and Institute of Public Administration and Administration. Olena has experience in professional internships and organizing international education programs in cooperation with AMCU, USAID, EU Twinning, and DiKU (Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in HE).

Since 2018, she has been a member of the team of annual research projects on IT development in Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa with Fama Custom Research Agency. Olena has educational experience at Lviv Polytechnic National University, Coventry University (UK), and CERGE (Czech Republic).

Candidate of Economic Sciences in the field of the World Economy and International Economic Relations. Taught courses on Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Competition State Policy and Public Procurement at Lviv Polytechnic National University. Has experience in teaching English, including English for banking. In 2012-2013 did an internship at the Economic Policy Committee and Committee on Finance and Banking at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Participant of Ukrainian and international conferences and trainings.

Larysa holds a Specialist Degree in International Economic Relations from Lviv Academy of Commerce. She defended her Ph.D. thesis in Economics, Organization, and Enterprises Management. During her career, Larysa worked on marketing and management of educational projects, as well as the provision of specialized education for marketing professionals.

She taught marketing disciplines at Lviv University of Trade and Economics. Larysa was working in the marketing team of the private educational institution network Ecoland for over five years. She has experience in organizing educational activities and projects for children and teenagers. Her main professional interests include service marketing, consumer behavior, branding, as well as education and development issues for children and adults.

Larysa is an Academic Leader of the Master in Marketing Management.  She is responsible for marketing programs, content management, and collaboration with lecturers of the courses.

Ostap Salovskyi, PhD in Economics, is a lecturer, researcher, and academic program manager whose work bridges research, teaching, and applied projects with business and policy relevance.

He lectures at UCU Business School and Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. His current research interests include institutional economics, comparative economic systems, complexity economics, entrepreneurial environment, and learning organizations.

Alongside academia, Ostap works as a freelance research analyst, supporting SMEs and consulting teams with insights on economics and business. Previously, he held senior research and department head roles at StartUs Insights (2019-2026), where he led research teams, nurtured long-lasting client relationships, and supported the delivery of innovation and startup intelligence projects for corporate clients across multiple industries and countries.

He has held visiting fellowships at the University of Alberta (Canada, 2018), Estonian Business School (Estonia, 2022), and the University of Technology Sydney (Australia, 2026).

She received a master’s degree in ecology at Lviv National University of Ivan Franko, Geology Faculty. She worked for 16 years at the Faculty of Geology. Mariana loves active recreation. In particular, the sea for her is an inspiration for new beginnings.

Iryna Paslas studied at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv at the Faculty of Philology, where she obtained a degree in teaching Ukrainian and Persian languages and literature in 2009. She is also a graduate of the Institute of Postgraduate Education at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv with a degree in international law, in 2013. She has experience in organizing photo projects and photo shoots. She worked at the Center for Urban History as an administrative manager and provided logistical support for the center’s events.

She is passionate about the majesty of mountains and never misses an opportunity to climb them. She is inspired by traveling and communicating with interesting people. Her favorite sport is skiing.

At UCU Business School, she works as a manager of the Executive education department.

Brings 10 years of experience in non-governmental organizations, including 3 years as a case manager and over 7 years as a project manager. His key areas of expertise include fundraising, partnership development, and capacity building for NGOs and charitable foundations.

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a Master’s degree in Social Work & Social Rehabilitation and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Pedagogy. Also completed theological studies at the International College of Biblical Theology and Lviv Theological Seminary. Has a musical background in piano, guitar, and accordion.

Volunteered and led Christian youth projects and contributed to family rehabilitation initiatives for Ukrainian war veterans.

In his free time, he enjoys reading books, listening to music, and going for walks alone or with his family.

Olena holds a Specialist Degree in Management of Organizations from Lviv Polytechnic National University and a BA in Organization of Service in Hotels and Tourist Complexes from Western Ukrainian Collegium.

She gained experience in London and was an intern at hotels and travel agencies in Lviv. She worked as an Office Manager, an Assistant Director, and later on as a Commercial Department Manager at a Danish textile enterprise in Lviv. 

Hobbies: traveling, mountains, skiing, cooking

Olya holds a Master’s degree in Finance. She has diverse experience in accounting, business administration, and project management.

She is genuinely passionate about working with people, developing emotional intelligence, and creating an inspiring learning environment. Her sources of energy are books, new places, and meaningful connections.

Olya is a manager of the Executive education department. At the business school, she is responsible for organizing leadership and management development programs. She supports participants throughout their learning journey and ensures effective collaboration between all stakeholders.

She studied at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, majoring in Sociocultural Activity Management. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in 2022 and a Master’s degree in 2023. Additionally, she completed English teacher training courses at TeachingCenter by Nadia Dyachuk.

She has around four years of experience working in customer service and education. An important stage of her professional journey was her role as a customer manager at the Green Forest English language school, where she later began teaching English to adult learners. What once started as a hobby has now become an integral part of her professional life.

She enjoys traveling with friends and discovering new cities and countries. Hiking in the mountains holds a special place among her interests, as it is where she feels a sense of freedom and renewal. She also enjoys reading, striving to balance fiction and non-fiction literature.

Yana Pigel obtained a Master’s degree in International Economic Relations with honors from the Lviv Trade and Economic University. She worked for two years in the banking sector as a Back-office specialist at PKO Bank Polski (Kredobank), where she was responsible for auditing the bank’s branch network throughout Ukraine in the field of insurance.

Yana has significant experience working in B2B in the automotive industry for the All-Ukrainian Network company for seven years. She implemented a business plan to develop sales of insurance products within the company. Yana also has experience in the real estate market and holds a REALTY ACADEMY specialist certificate.

Currently, she is working in the Corporate Training department at UCU Business School, focusing on communication, organization, and development of educational programs.

Anna graduated from the Academy of Advocacy of Ukraine and the State Tax University. She has 4 years of experience in the fields of law and legal journalism.

She worked as the assistant to the director of development at Artwinery, where she was involved in transformational processes, as an assistant to the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, where she performed operational management functions and participated in organizing and conducting marketing events. She was also the assistant to the medical director at Edem Resort Medical & SPA.

Brings over 4 years of experience in project management, educational marketing, and analytics. Her professional background includes roles as Assistant to the UCU Vice-Rector for External Relations and Social Service, Real Estate Analyst at the Silpo retail chain, Marketing Assistant at Leobit, English event coordinator and tutor at UA-Teens Lviv, and Project Manager in language schools.

Currently a 4th-year student at Ukrainian Catholic University in the Artes Liberales program (Philology). Participant of the Warwick Summer School. Represented Ukraine in an international program focused on war, recovery, literature, history, and creative writing.

Volunteers at key UCU events, helped organize the 3rd Ukrainian Central European Forum (2023), and participates in UCU educational talks. Experienced in communicating with US congressmen via Mr. Bob Wood initiatives, volunteers with the ENGin online platform, and organizes workshops and charity sales for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In her spare time, she paints, plays the piano, hikes in the mountains, and explores Ukraine. She loves art in all its forms — especially theater — and is inspired by travel and creative people.

Has 4 years of teaching experience in a private art studio, alongside expertise in organizing and managing events. Contributed to over 50 concerts and community events through volunteer and organizational roles. Her background also includes a year in an administrative position at a foreign-language school and 2 years of freelance graphic design work.

Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Lviv Polytechnic National University, majoring in Professional Education (Digital Technologies).

Actively engaged in the civic sector, including initiatives with the NGO “Naskriz”.

In her free time, she enjoys active recreation, mountain hiking, and community involvement. She is inspired by projects where she can make a meaningful impact.

She studied at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Archaeology.

She has over 4 years of experience in marketing and communications. Most of her professional projects are related to the educational sector. For nearly two years, she worked in the Public Relations Department at Lviv State University of Internal Affairs, and also as an SMM Manager at an English language school. In addition, she develops her own history blog.

Outside of work, she prefers an active lifestyle and sports. She enjoys running, hiking in the mountains, and traveling. She is always exploring new hobbies—from drawing and knitting to skateboarding and shooting. She also enjoys reading, especially fantasy and historical literature.

Iryna holds a degree in International Relations from the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. After graduation, she did an internship at the International Relations Committee of Lviv Regional State Administration (regional government) and as Assistant Director of the Main Economic Department.

She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies and worked as a secretary to the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.

She has experience in the hospitality and service industry.

Passionate about photography and drawing, she loves cinema and visual aesthetics and is always open to new stories and experiences.

Halyna works as a Front Desk Administrator at the UCU Business School campus on St. John Paul II Avenue, 35a.

Graduated from the National University “Lviv Polytechnic”, specialty – management in production, is a qualified engineer-economist. Experienced accountant for 13 years.

Iryna Slipets graduated from Lviv State Agrarian University, where she received a degree in “Accounting and Audit” and qualified as an economist in accounting and finance. Has 19 years of experience in the field of accounting and finance.

She earned her education at Kyiv National Economic University, where she obtained a Master’s degree in Accounting and Auditing. She holds the DipIFR ACCA diploma in International Financial Reporting and the CAP certificate.

She has over 15 years of professional experience in finance and accounting, including leadership roles in methodology, accounting, financial reporting, and financial planning departments. She combines extensive expertise in the banking sector with experience in the non-profit sector, particularly with the NGO “YMCA Kyiv.”

In her free time, she enjoys visiting exhibitions and theaters, drawing inspiration from walks around the city, and loves active games and traveling

Khrystyna earned a master’s degree with magna cum laude honors in Theology from the Ukrainian Catholic University.

She has experience organizing summer Christian camps for children and teenagers.

She can’t imagine her life without reading books and hiking in the mountains.

She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at UCU. She has work experience in a recruiting company as a sales manager, as well as in an environmental development company as an assistant to the CCO.

Revekka completed an internship at Lviv City Council as part of the “First Career Step” program and was involved in conducting social surveys of Lviv guests at the tourism department. She volunteered at various events at UCU, including TEDxUCU, TeachConnect, Open Doors Day, and events at the UCU Business School.

She enjoys relaxing in the mountains, listening to the sea waves, learning, traveling, dreaming, reading books, and learning from the life experiences of others.

At the Business School, she works as a coordinator of the MSc in Managing Impact-Driven Organizations program .

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies from Ukrainian Catholic University.

Passionate about culture and art in all its forms, with a special appreciation for theater. In her free time, she is inspired by traveling, engaging with creative people, and continuously discovering new perspectives.

She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at UCU.

Vitaliia has experience in management and participation in research projects in cooperation with the Lviv City Council, the Center for Tourism Development, the sociological agency “Socioinform,” and UCU. She has worked as a math tutor for school children.

Vitaliia has volunteered at various events at UCU and events organized by the UCU Business School, participated in social initiatives for the elderly, and organized the “Growing Together” project at the Blagodat orphanage.

She shares the values of UCU, strives to develop within the university team, and supports others through her work. Vitaliia loves to travel, spend time with children, dream, study Ukrainian culture, and be inspired by communicating with interesting people.

Has been working as an educational program coordinator. Participated in sociological research on teacher media literacy in Ukraine (Socioinform, UCU Library) and quality-of-life surveys by the Lviv City Council. Completed the BOTFL course alongside MBA students, focusing on community development.

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Ukrainian Catholic University. Participant of Work and Travel USA 2025 and Erasmus+ in Estonia (2024).

Contributed to UNICEF & UCU Research Monitoring Center projects, volunteered with children in orphanages and modular towns (NGO OPORA), and volunteered at UCU Open Days three times.

In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, traveling, reading books, playing sports, spending time with friends, and active leisure.

Ivan obtained a master’s degree in “Transportation Organization and Management in Automobile Transport” at the Lviv Polytechnic National University.

Had experience working in logistics, particularly in freight forwarding companies, as well as experience in organizing international transportation and the tourism industry.

In his leisure time, enjoys reading books, hiking in the mountains, and learning something new.

She graduated from Lviv Polytechnic National University with a degree in Architecture. She further developed her expertise in UI/UX, completed mentor training within the UPSHIFT program (Human-Centered Design), and the “Marketing for Business” program at LvBS — UCU Business School.

She has over 10 years of experience in communications, team management, and brand development for both business and civil society sectors. Her professional background includes developing and supporting communication strategies, facilitating strategic sessions and educational programs, and working with design thinking and human-centered approaches.

She has a background in graphic design and entrepreneurship, having worked on her own business project as a designer and marketing manager. Her professional focus is on strengthening expertise in UI/UX design and combining strategic thinking, communications, and design to create value-driven products and meaningful user experiences.