15.12.2025
On December 10, Kyiv hosted the Energy Club forum “THE ENERGY OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP: Women Holding Ukraine’s Energy Frontline,” bringing together women who are shaping the resilience of Ukraine’s energy sector today. Heads of state institutions and top managers of strategic companies discussed women’s leadership not merely as a social trend, but as a reality that directly impacts the industry’s operation under wartime conditions.
Kateryna Ivanus, founder of the agency Kateryna Ivanus PR&media consulting, was a speaker at the first panel discussion, “Facing the Challenge: Leadership Under Fire. Crisis Management and Operational Resilience.” In her speech, she focused on the transition from formal engagement to real influence and how these processes are integrated into modern models of women’s leadership.
Kateryna Ivanus has over 15 years of experience in strategic communications. Notably, she served as an advisor to the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration on communication policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and at the onset of the full-scale invasion. Work in a frontline region involved constant crisis communications and interaction with international media, including the BBC, The Washington Post, and CNN.
According to her, it is in such environments—government, business, and international spheres—that the true core of women’s leadership is formed. Kateryna’s professional path began at the age of 18 in structures where there were almost no women; thus, today she speaks of leadership not theoretically, but as a daily management practice.
A year ago, Ekonomichna Pravda published her article “Women’s Leadership in Ukraine: How War Accelerates Trends,” which recorded an obvious trend: women have massively occupied key management positions in the public sector, banking, insurance, and business. According to open data, in 2023, 56% of new businesses in Ukraine were founded by women.
According to the founder of Kateryna Ivanus PR&media consulting, classic management models shaped by male leadership often do not work for women. This created a need for new reputation management and communication protocols, taking into account both European experience and the Ukrainian reality of war.
This transformation is felt particularly acutely in the energy industry. The sector is simultaneously under the pressure of war and rapid European integration processes. Women who have gained access to leadership positions find themselves in an environment where there is no margin for error. They are expected to make strategic decisions, pull systems out of crisis on a daily basis, and maintain transparent communication with society.
“Disappearing from the public space during a crisis very quickly turns a technical problem into a crisis of trust,” noted Kateryna Ivanus.
The speaker placed special emphasis on the concept of reputational capital. According to her, trust is a long-term investment that includes not only communication strategies but also education, professional development, work on one’s voice, public presence, and quality networking.
Yaryna Skorokhod, Co-Chair of the Energy Committee of the European Business Association and moderator of the first panel, highlighted that reputational capital influences not only professional success but also a leader’s personal integrity, defining what decisions and opportunities she is ready to accept.
“The war will end, but the work with emotions—fear, uncertainty, tension—will continue for a long time. The leadership of the future will be more transparent and frank, and reputational capital will become a decisive factor for investors and international partners,” emphasized Kateryna Ivanus.
She believes women have a competitive advantage in this environment: the combination of rational thinking with the ability to build relationships forms more resilient and balanced teams. This is why women’s leadership in energy today is one of the key resources for the industry’s development.
Moderating the forum’s second panel, Kateryna Ivanus summed up that women’s leadership has definitively moved beyond social discourse and has become an instrument for strategic decisions—in matters of investment, recovery, energy diplomacy, and shaping future competencies.
“Your experience is not just professionalism. You are the architects of the future we are discussing today,” she addressed the speakers.
