More than 200 participants—top managers from operational companies INTERTOP, Pandora, MTI hi-tech distribution, Denka Logistics, Protoria, MTI-SERVICE, Technoguard, MTI Fashion, and the MTI Group management company—gathered at the Parkovy Convention and Exhibition Center to exchange experiences, analyze case studies, network, and get inspired.

This year, the traditional gathering of MTI Group managers took on a new form—the corporate conference was held in the format of a student campus. Nine hours of unique content, three educational modules, and 15 charismatic speakers from top Ukrainian and international companies shared practical industry cases, insightful “hacks,” valuable insights, new business tools, and effective communication strategies for teams.

“Digitalization has radically transformed traditional roles within organizations and accelerated the pace at which we must learn, adapt, and evolve. In this sense, curiosity is the most powerful driver of the new era. An employee’s curiosity helps sustain a company—it fuels creativity and innovation, enhances emotional intelligence, and boosts efficiency. That is why our group of companies has prioritized learning. Today’s event, MTI INNOVATION CAMPUS, is a vivid confirmation of this. We are open to new experiences, eager to view familiar situations from fresh and sometimes unexpected perspectives, and keen to explore case studies from other companies—so that we can return to our teams inspired to generate and integrate change,” said Volodymyr Tsoy, President of MTI Group.

MTI INNOVATION CAMPUS was structured as an intensive program consisting of three key business modules.

MODULE 1: “The End of the Lone Wolf Era! Who Is the Leader of 2022?” aimed to explore leadership as a social process, the paradigm shift in post-heroic leadership—from individualism to collectivism—and the global trend of “androgynous leadership.”

The headliner of the module was Nataliia Kryvda, Academic Director of the MBA program at Edinburgh Business School on the House of Knowledge platform in Ukraine and Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Key insights from Module 1:

• Leadership emerges as a social process that occurs through human interaction. It operates in all directions, focuses on relationships, advocates for organic organizational design instead of hierarchical structures, and encourages engagement and collective learning.

• A paradigm shift in post-heroic leadership—from individuals to collectives, from control to learning, from “I” to “I-in-relationships,” and from “power over power” to “power over oneself.”

• For Generation Z, aligning personal values with company values is crucial. The leadership team, together with key stakeholders, defines the company’s “value policies.”

• People should no longer be viewed as a resource but as capital. Just as financial, technological, reputational, and cultural capital are managed with care, so too should human capital be treated as a valuable asset.

• Global trends emphasize respect for human diversity. Androgynous leadership, which blends traits traditionally perceived as “feminine” and “masculine,” is gaining traction. It is essential to maintain balance—respecting minority rights while not disregarding majority rights and the concept of “norms.”

The discussion was moderated by Yuliia Humeniak, CEO of One Philosophy. Together with Yuliia, the module featured:

• Vitalii Bulda, General Manager (TT/SCS RBUR/GM TT/SBA) at Robert Bosch LTD,

• Olesia Kyrylchuk, Senior Director, Head of People, APAC, Spain, Ukraine at EPAM Systems,

• Iryna Hrabinska, HRD at Protoria.

MODULE 2: “New Marketing and New Sales: Challenges and Realities of the New Era”

This module addressed significant shifts in consumer behavior during the pandemic, unveiled the secrets behind brand success in 2020-2021, explored new trends in global and Ukrainian marketing, and reinforced the importance of collaborations.

Headliner: Iryna Horova – Co-founder & CEO of MOZGI GROUP, Producer

Key Insights from Module 2:

Create Collaborations – Successful brand collaborations always generate a synergy effect, benefiting both parties through engaging and in-demand projects or products, attracting new customers, increasing revenue, and boosting brand recognition. The key conditions for effective collaborations are shared values, clear terms of cooperation, aligned expectations, and ensuring that each audience understands the project.

Stay True to Your Brand Values – Every brand is built on principles defined by its creators. Consumers buy not just a product, but the values behind it—whether it’s prestige, security, or a sense of belonging. When working with a brand—whether in communications or collaborations—the primary task is to reinforce its core message and values while effectively delivering them to the target audience.

Creative Industries as a Driver of Economic and Social Innovation – In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2021 the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. This designation recognized the growing role of creative industries in the economic progress of both developed and developing nations. In Ukraine, every 1 UAH invested in creative industries generates 2.2 UAH in added gross value across the economy.

This module tackled a profound and almost philosophical question about the future—exploring the role of companies and individuals in a rapidly changing world.

Participants:

Ivan Lyashenko – Chief Marketing Officer, Parimatch Tech
Nina Dombrovskaya – Ex-President, Henkel Ukraine
Serhiy Yakovlev – Commercial Director, MTI

Moderator: Nataliya Bukhalova – Co-owner & Director, Ukrainian Marketing Group; National Representative of ESOMAR in Ukraine; Lecturer at MIM-Kyiv Business School.

The module featured Oleksandr Davydenko, Chief Innovation Officer of TECHIIA Holding; Dominique Piotet, CEO of UNIT.City and the acceleration hub Sector X; and Serhiy Badritdinov, CEO of INTERTOP Ukraine and Co-Chair of the Retail Committee of the European Business Association. The panel discussion was moderated by Ihor Zabolotnyi, a strategic session expert and business artist.

The headliner of the third block was Nina Mishchenko, who spoke about retail trends, their timelines, and the importance of tracking and applying them. Trend-watching has clear business objectives:

✅ Objective #1 – Identify and leverage significant business opportunities.
✅ Objective #2 – Systematically assess your strategy and innovation ideas using trends as a benchmark.
✅ Objective #3 – Influence the evolving expectations of consumers in real-time.

The headliner was Nina Mishchenko, Director of Ecosystem Development at SAGA Development, former Deputy Chief Editor of Forbes magazine, and lecturer at the Lviv Business School and Kyiv School of Economics.

A creative addition to the conference was a workshop on visual thinking and productive networking to achieve business goals, led by business artist Ihor Zabolotnyi.

The live interaction with experts, sharp minds, and good humor helped to look at familiar tasks from a new perspective and identify new business development horizons that are impossible to see in the routine of deadlines.