On October 24, 2025, with the support of the Corporate Governance Professional Association (CGPA), the following Corporate Secretary Training Program was completed. This is a leading course for specialists in corporate governance, traditionally conducted by the Ukrainian Corporate Governance Institute as part of the implementation of the provisions of the agreement with the State Property Fund of Ukraine. During five intensive days, program participants gained up-to-date knowledge about the key principles of building a corporate governance system, the legal status and functions of a corporate secretary, the specifics of the activities of supervisory boards and executive bodies, practical aspects of holding general meetings of shareholders, requirements for the disclosure of regulated information by issuers, and interaction with the regulator.

The program participants included representatives of leading state-owned and commercial companies in Ukraine, including JSC “RVS BANK,” PJSC “Kyiv-Dniprovske MPPZT,” LLC “Firm” MOTOR-DEALER, “LLC” Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine,” JSC “Scientific and Production Complex” Iskra “, NJSC” Naftogaz of Ukraine “, PJSC ‘Ukrfinzhytlo’, PJSC” National Depository of Ukraine “, JSC” Piraeus Bank ICB “, State Enterprise of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine” Defense Procurement Agency”, JSC “KB” Globus “, JSC” Ukrzaliznytsia “, SE” Energorynok “, JSC ‘ANTONOV’, State Property Fund of Ukraine, and JSC” First Investment Bank”. The audience included corporate secretaries, legal advisors, heads of legal and corporate departments, organizational development directors, and heads of departments and divisions who are directly responsible for ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective corporate governance in their companies. It was this professional diversity of participants that ensured a productive exchange of practical experience between representatives of the financial, energy, transport, industrial, and defense sectors.

The training program included presentations by leading experts in corporate governance. The Chairman of the CGPA Board of Directors, Oleksandr Okuniev, presented the fundamentals of corporate governance, explained the concepts of stakeholders, GRC and ESG, outlined the role and functions of a corporate secretary, the specifics of organizing their work, and also focused on the activities of supervisory boards and boards of directors, issues of their composition, the status of independent directors, and interaction with executive bodies. Ulyana Semchyshyn, corporate secretary of PJSC Ukrnafta, shared practical advice on preparing and conducting meetings of supervisory boards and their committees, focusing on effective interaction between the corporate secretary and the company’s management bodies. Natalia Shevchenko, a leading lawyer at Ernst & Young, focused on convening and holding general meetings of shareholders, provided detailed recommendations for preparing procedural documents, and discussed holding electronic and remote sessions.

Managing partner of the Saad Legal law firm, Shadi Saad, discussed court practice, analyzed typical mistakes made when convening general meetings, and outlined mechanisms to prevent them. Dmytro Sergienko, Director of the Internal Audit Department at PJSC Ukrnafta and member of the Audit, Risk and Ethics Committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, spoke in detail about the legal basis for the work of the internal audit service, its key functions, standards, and expectations for interaction with the corporate secretary. Volodymyr Igoin, partner at Vasyl Kisil & Partners Law Firm and member of the CGPA Board of Directors, highlighted the procedure for concluding significant transactions and transactions with interest, focusing on the legislative requirements and the legal consequences of violating established procedures. Olena Stupak, Executive Director of EMKON LLC and a member of the CGPA, presented a block on the rules for the disclosure of regulated information and financial reporting by issuers, and also conducted a workshop on the preparation of regular and special information. The final presentation was given by Inna Martynenko, Director of the Department of Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance Supervision at the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, who spoke about the regulator’s current approaches to supervision, inspections, and communication with issuers.

After completing the training course, participants took a final exam and received qualification certificates confirming their professional training in corporate governance. As usual, the program was not only a source of new knowledge but also a platform for establishing professional contacts and exchanging experience between specialists from various sectors of the economy. The program’s graduates joined a large community of certified corporate secretaries, which today brings together hundreds of professionals throughout Ukraine.

The program participants were corporate secretaries representing state-owned enterprises, who were trained as part of a project to enhance the capacity of supervisory boards of state-owned companies and bodies performing the functions of state property owners, implemented by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine in cooperation with the Corporate Governance Professional Association and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The project is being implemented with the support of the Multi-Donor Account for Stabilisation and Sustainable Development of Ukraine (MDA), which is managed by the EBRD. The MDA donor countries are Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, the largest donor.

We invite professionals who want systematic training, practical experience, and to become part of a professional community that sets new standards for corporate governance in Ukraine to join the next intake. The new Corporate Secretary program is scheduled for March 2026. Follow the news of CGPA and the Ukrainian Corporate Governance Institute and join the community of professionals who are improving the quality of corporate governance in Ukrainian companies every day. Registration is now open!