19.05.2025
Maksym Asauliak is a communications expert in the energy sector and the head of the department at JSC “Energy Company of Ukraine” (ECU). He has built the reputation and brand of key private and state energy companies in Ukraine. In particular, he headed the communication functions of the largest gas producers – Ukrgasvydobuvannya (Naftogaz Group) and DTEK Naftogaz, managed strategic communications for the DTEK Group, as well as special projects at Kyivenergo. His areas of competence and interest include international, crisis, internal, media, and GR communications, as well as sustainable development. In 2021, he was included by MMR magazine in the TOP-25 best PR professionals in Ukraine, and projects he led have repeatedly been recognized in industry rankings. He has a degree in journalism and began his career as a reporter and editor in business publications.
Currently, Maksym is building the reputation of the state energy company ECU, which was created from scratch at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the context of war, when the country’s energy security has become a national issue, the reputation of an energy company is a strategic asset that affects the ability to implement large-scale projects, receive support from the state and international organizations, and effectively interact with clients in a highly competitive environment.
Already in June, at the training course “Communications and Interaction in the Energy Sector: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR, and Lobbying in Ukraine” from Energy Club, Maksym Asauliak will reveal the topic “How to Make Your Message Heard? Forms that Enhance Content” and promises it will be captivating.
– Maksym, are these your original developments? What is the basis for them?
– The lecture I will be giving will be a mix of what I have done myself – experienced in practice at Naftogaz, DTEK, Kyivenergo, ECU – as well as excellent cases from other energy companies, both Ukrainian and foreign.
There will be a minimum of theory – it will only set the general framework. I will focus on specific, real examples – this is what is much better remembered, motivates, and inspires.
These will be fascinating stories – both funny and critical, and instructive. Over more than 10 years of working in energy communications, quite a few have accumulated. I have consolidated the main points and will be happy to share them with representatives of Energy Club member companies.
My idea is not to give lecture attendees some template instructions on “where to run and what to do,” but to help broaden their horizons a bit when it comes to choosing effective forms and formats for broadcasting their messages. So that in the future, perhaps, they will do even less in terms of volume, but precisely what will be noticeable.
– Why is this important today? What communication features and with which structures will your presentation focus on?
– Making your message heard is the most difficult and at the same time the most important thing in the work of a communicator in an overloaded and heavily cluttered information field.
You need to stand out – there’s no way around it. Without this, all the company’s work on developing strategies, tactics, projects, content plans (as well as the company’s investments in all of this) can be in vain.
So what to do? The simple answer is to hire a high-quality creative agency and invest in your visibility. This is the shortest path.
But if:
– For whom will the information you share be useful – for local authorities, businesses, company leaders?
– The lecture will be interesting for representatives of businesses in various industries, because the principles and approaches of communication are the same regardless of the type of activity. But it will be closest to energy companies: the examples will be specifically from their industry. Some of them, listeners will probably be able to recall, others will be able to adapt to themselves and their practice.
I would recommend listening to the lecture (as well as lectures by other experienced course instructors) not only to in-house communicators, but also to business leaders and owners. The acquired knowledge will become a tool for achieving business goals. After all, top management, through their daily actions, can have a greater impact on reputation and brand than an entire PR department (both positively and negatively).
So I look forward to registrations, meeting you, and a valuable exchange of experience on the Energy Club course!
The course “Communications and Interaction in the Energy Sector: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR, and Lobbying in Ukraine” is designed to enhance the communication capabilities of companies, promote their competitiveness, and support the sustainable development of Ukraine’s energy sector.
It contributes to strengthening the trust of stakeholders (government, communities, investors, media), supporting business goals in a highly regulated environment, and offers an integrated approach combining PR, marketing, GR, and lobbying to create synergistic strategies that contribute to the success of companies.
Course duration: 12 weeks, sessions include 1–2 sessions per week (60–90 minutes), interactive discussions after each topic.
To support professional development, an alumni community is being created:
Platform: Closed group on LinkedIn.
Purpose: Exchange of experience, discussion of challenges, dissemination of best practices.
Benefits: Strengthening cooperation between Energy Club members, access to industry resources.
