09.12.2025
The war has made the energy sector one of the state’s key points of resilience. Daily decisions in this sphere are not just about technology or infrastructure, but about responsibility for millions of people.
And today, a significant part of this responsibility is borne by female leaders working in extremely difficult conditions, holding the energy front on par with engineers, analysts, and managers.
At the Energy Club forum “THE ENERGY OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP: Women Holding Ukraine’s Energy Frontline”, which will take place on December 10 in Kyiv, one of the key speakers will be Yulia Tolchinina-Burunska — Director of the Legal Support and Property Relations Department, Corporate Secretary of PJSC “Ukrhydroenergo”.
She will present the legal dimension of energy security—something that usually remains “behind the scenes” but determines a strategic company’s ability to operate, protect its assets, and respond to the challenges of war.
In an interview with the Energy Club media department, Yulia Tolchinina-Burunska spoke about the message she is bringing to the forum, how she built her professional authority in a traditionally “technical” sphere, and why leadership today is not about style, but about endurance, honesty, and the ability to be with the team when the system is operating at its limit.
— Ms. Yulia, what is the main message you are bringing to the Women’s Forum? What do you want to say to women building a career in energy who doubt their own strength?
— I am going with a very simple but honest message: you already have enough to start. You just need to take the first step.
In our industry, it often seems that there is some “perfect moment” when confidence, experience, and internal permission to move forward will appear. But in reality, this moment does not exist—it appears only after action.
Energy is a complex, technological, demanding sphere. It is definitely not a “closed club” and certainly not “male territory.” It is a system that works thanks to professionalism, discipline, determination, and the ability to make balanced decisions under conditions of uncertainty. In these qualities, women do not just keep up—they often offer a different quality of management.
But despite this, many young female specialists run into problems that are not “female” at all—into systemic barriers that I faced as well.
The first barrier is the lack of practice. Companies want experience, but there is nowhere to get it. This vicious circle has stopped many careers.
The second is a lack of understanding of the industry from the inside. Even the best education does not answer the questions: “How does an HPP (Hydro Power Plant) or PSP (Pumped Storage Plant) really work? Where is my place in this system?”
The third is a lack of role models. When there are no women nearby whom you can approach and ask without pretension: “How did you start?”—a feeling arises that the path is too difficult.
And, finally, internal doubt. It is familiar to every woman in energy—regardless of position.
That is why at “Ukrhydroenergo” we are opening doors systematically: we are creating an internship program for young women with technical specialties so that they see the industry not from textbooks, but from the inside. This is not about trends. This is about responsibility for the future of the labor market in energy.
My message is simple: don’t wait to be invited. But when the doors open—enter confidently. We will make sure there are more of these doors, and that each one is a real chance, not a beautiful declaration.
— Energy, and especially hydropower, is traditionally considered technically complex and to some extent a “male” sphere. Did you have to face stereotypes or skepticism on your career path? How did you manage to build undeniable authority in this environment?
— Yes, stereotypes exist. But they disappear very quickly when people see results.
At the beginning of my career, I had to observe situations where the legal department was perceived as a service unit: “draw up,” “check,” “approve.” But in energy, the legal function is not about documents. It is about asset protection, risks, negotiations, international processes, and responsibility to the state.
I never proved competence with words—I proved it with work. With consistency. With risk control. With decisions that withstand pressure and time.
There is another important thing: respect for technical specialists. A lawyer who does not understand how a hydraulic unit works or how a facility responds to emergency situations cannot be an effective partner for engineers.
My authority in technical units was formed precisely through the desire to understand this context. When engineers see that you speak their language, gender ceases to be a factor. People respect competence, not status.
Today, when I represent the company’s interests in international institutions or lead complex legal processes, the question “is this a woman or a man” simply does not arise. Another question is asked: is this person capable of protecting the company? And the answer is formed exclusively through work.
— There is an opinion that in crisis times, female managers act more effectively thanks to a combination of flexibility, empathy, and strategic vision. What is your leadership style? How do you balance the need to make tough decisions with supporting the team’s emotional state?
— To be honest, today leadership is not about style and not about beautiful terms. It is about endurance, clarity, and the ability to be with the team at the moment when the system is operating at its limit.
For me, there are several principles without which leadership is simply impossible.
1. A leader is not someone who manages from afar. A leader is someone who goes in front and together with the team. I never perceived management as a position “above the process.” Leadership is about presence. About being nearby when it’s difficult, not appearing only when everything is already resolved.
I believe the team shouldn’t have to “guess” where their manager is and what they are thinking. The team must feel: we are moving together, we see the same field, and I am not behind their backs, I am nearby and in front.
Especially in wartime energy—where we all work in conditions of uncertainty—remote, “cold” management does not work. Only leadership through participation works.
2. Direct and honest communication. The team withstands great loads when it understands reality. I always speak openly: if there are risks—we name them; if there is uncertainty—we do not hide it; if we need to act quickly—we state it directly. Clarity removes panic. It is not always “pleasant,” but it is always honest. And honesty is the foundation of trust.
3. Attention to people. The legal team today works with a traumatic context—documenting destruction, damages, international cases, constant movement in a war environment. Support here is not “emotional softness,” but an element of the company’s resilience. Sometimes the right managerial decision is not pressure for results, but a short pause, redistribution of tasks, or a simple human conversation.
4. Trust as the basis of management. I do not control every step and do not believe that a strong manager is one who checks everything. I am interested in something else: can the team openly say “I don’t know,” “there is a difficulty,” “support is needed.” Such a level of honesty allows making the right decisions faster than any regulations.
5. Tough decisions do not exclude humanity. Sometimes decisions have to be sharp—this is part of a manager’s job. But humanity does not disappear. A leader is someone capable of holding the frame without destroying people.
A leader is not a title. A leader is a person who stands in front, takes responsibility, makes difficult decisions, and at the same time does not lose contact with the team. And it is precisely such leadership that is holding Ukraine’s energy system today.
Форум “ЕНЕРГІЯ ЖІНОЧОГО ЛІДЕРСТВА: жінки, що тримають енергетичний фронт України”
