Since signing an Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014, Ukraine has introduced a wide range of policies aimed at integration into a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and the achievement of a visa free regime with the Schengen Zone. Reform of the banking sector has been a central part of this process, and its recent overhaul a major contributor to Ukraine’s fight against corruption. Despite this initial success, questions remain over the results of long-term banking reform in Ukraine, the independence of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), and the potential for the banking sector to become a strategic driver of the Ukrainian economy.

The Henry Jackson Society is delighted to invite you to a discussion on the main successes and failures of key economic reforms towards Ukraine’s European integration.

Timothy Ash joined BlueBay in January 2017 as a Senior EM Sovereign Strategist within the Emerging Markets Team. Prior to joining BlueBay, Timothy was Head of CEEMEA Credit Strategy at Nomura International. Before this he was Head of EM Research (ex-Africa) at ICBC-Standard Bank until May 2015; Head of Emerging Markets Research at the Royal Bank of Scotland until June 2012; and Head of EMEA fixed income research at Bear Stearns International (later JPMorgan Chase) until April 2008. Timothy has also held a number of Economist positions at West Merchant Bank, Caspian Securities, ABN Amro, the Economist Intelligence Unit and Euroconsult, where he worked on international development projects. Timothy holds a first class BA honours degree in Economics and an MA in Agricultural Economics both from the University of Manchester and was a research fellow at the Centre for Economic Reform & Transformation at Herriot-Watt University and a Leverhulme Research Fellow at Exeter University.

Oleksiy Blinov graduated from Kyiv Polytechnic University (Ukraine) in 2004, with a specialist degree in Management. In 2005-2007, Oleksiy worked as Economic Research and Publications Department Director of the International Center for Policy Studies (ICPS), a Kyiv-based think tank. He managed a 10-strong team of economists working on macroeconomic forecasting, policy papers and other research. OIeksiy also supervised printed publication of various ICPS journals, including Quarterly Predictions and Policy Studies.

In 2007-2009, Oleksiy was the Head of Economic Research at the Institute for Russian Studies (IRS), where he covered macro forecasts on Ukraine and Russia, various topics of bilateral and multilateral economic and trade relations.

In 2009-2011, Oleksiy worked as Chief Economist at Astrum Investment Management, an investment company. Since 2011, Mr. Blinov has been the Head of Research at Alfa-Bank Ukraine, one of the biggest private banks in Ukraine owned by Luxembourg-based ABH Holdings (ABHH). Being one of the most renowned economic analyst in Ukraine, he has been awarded as the Best Forecaster on Ukraine by FocusEconomics for three times already.

Oleksiy Blinov also acts as an advisor to NABU, providing his vast expertise to Ukraine’s key banking association.

Olena Korobkova is a Chairwoman at NABU Council. She graduated from Odessa National University named after Mechnikov with a degree in mathematics and jurisprudence and Odessa National Economic University under the European Initiative program “Ukrainian Initiative” with a major in finance, and she has an international management diploma from the London Business Academy. She has been working in the financial sector for more than 10 years, of which 8 years – in senior positions in Ukrainian banks.

Dr Yehor Kyian works both as an expert of the International Center for Policy Studies and at International Management Department of Kyiv National Economic University.

He coordinates several projects, such as strengthening democratic resilience of key public institutions in Ukraine, European business-practices of corporate social responsibility, development of international economic and financial cooperation of Ukraine with the MENA region countries, promoting transparency and implementation of anti-corruption measures in state-owned enterprises and local self-government bodies in Ukraine, European integration impact on economic security of EU Member-States, etc.

Yehor graduated in International Economy and Management from Kyiv National Economic University in 2009 and obtained a Master’s degree in International Economics. In 2012-2013 he studied at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management (South Korea) and obtained a Master’s degree in Development Policy. He has a PhD in World Economy and International Economic Relations.

Amanda Paul is a Senior Policy Analyst in the World Programme at the European Policy Centre (EPC), a leading Brussels based think-tank. She leads the EPC’s work on issues related to Turkey, Russia and the Eurasia region including security and conflict resolution in the Black Sea region. She is also a Senior Advisor on issues related to the Eurasia region for Stober, Poltavets and Associates. Prior to joining the EPC, Amanda worked at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the European Commission and the External Affairs Division of the German multinational, Henkel.

Taras Kuzio is an Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and Professor in the Department of Political Science, National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy. His previous positions were at the University of Alberta, George Washington University, and University of Toronto, International Institute of Strategic Studies, and School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Taras Kuzio holds a PhD in political science from the University of Birmingham, England, an MA in Area Studies (USSR, Eastern Europe) from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London, and a BA in Economics from the School of European Studies, University of Sussex. He held a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Yale University. Taras Kuzio is the author and editor of 22 books, 38 book chapters and over 130 scholarly articles on Soviet, Eurasian, Russian, and Ukrainian politics, colour revolutions, nationalism, geopolitics, and international relations.

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EVENT SUMMARY

On the 20th December 2021, Dr Taras Kuzio, an Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, Timothy Ash, a Senior EM Sovereign Strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, Oleksiy Blinov, Head of Research at Alfa-Bank Ukraine, Olena Korobkova, a Chairwomen at the NABU council, Dr Yehor Kyian, an expert at the International Center for Policy Studies and at the International Management Department of Kyiv National Economic University, and Amanda Paul, a Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, discussed the successes and failures of Ukrainian banking and economic reforms, and Ukraine’s integration with the EU. The discussion turned to issues of corruption and Ukraine’s attempts to curb oligarchic control and judicial weakness. The conversation was then led to an analysis of Ukraine’s macro-economic situation. The discussion concluded with panellists assessing whether President Zelensky has succeeded in addressing economic issues of corruption and oligarchic control.