FUIB together with participants of the CFO Forum held a panel discussion titled «Business Under Pressure: From Risks to Solutions», where they discussed how businesses can invest and develop amid uncertainty. The discussion included finance directors and chief financial officers of leading companies: Serhii Shulha (Group CFO VITAGRO), Anna Vashchenko (financial director of ASCANIA GROUP), Liubov Tsymbal (CFO of the Dobrobut network) and Andrii Komar (CFO BGS RAIL).
Managing interrelated risks in rail logistics
The discussion addressed the impact of infrastructure damage, supply disruptions and delays in product shipments on companies’ cash flows and operations. According to the participants, this underlines the importance of timely planning, financial discipline and seeking alternative solutions.
Andrii Komar used the example of the rail business to explain that the value of assets is determined by their ability to generate income, not merely by their existence. “A company’s resilience is defined not by the number of wagons on the balance sheet, but by how effectively they are used. That creates the financial foundation for meeting obligations on time, maintaining day-to-day operations and further developing the business. Resilience is therefore when a crisis changes our route but does not deprive us of the ability to move forward,” emphasised Andrii Komar, CFO BGS RAIL.
Diversification and scenario planning in agribusiness
Representatives of the agricultural sector spoke about efforts to diversify and develop higher value-added production, including investments in processing and bioethanol. Such steps, the participants said, help reduce dependence on commodity markets and logistical constraints while creating additional revenue streams.
Serhii Shulha gave examples of scenario planning and modelling the impact of rising fuel costs on the company’s results. “Today the financial resilience of a business largely depends on the ability to anticipate risks and prepare in advance for different scenarios. At VITAGRO we systematically assess the impact of external factors on financial results, review approaches to cost and investment management. Our task is not only to react to changes but to build a buffer of resilience that allows the company to continue operating and developing even in uncertain conditions,” said Serhii Shulha, Group CFO VITAGRO.
Energy independence and liquidity at ASCANIA GROUP
For ASCANIA GROUP, ensuring stable liquidity and taking an individual approach to risk management in each business were key priorities. Investments in energy independence for manufacturing enterprises were named among the priorities to ensure continuity of operations.
Anna Vashchenko explained that foregoing investment can lead to a loss of competitiveness, so the company continues to invest and makes decisions for each business separately. “A company that does not invest does not just stand still — it loses ground. That is why we continue to invest. Every business within the group is important to us, so we make decisions separately for each one,” said Anna Vashchenko.
Investment, liquidity and partnership: the case of Dobrobut
The medical network Dobrobut faced a drop in patient numbers, staff departures and liquidity issues at the start of the full-scale invasion, but it did not abandon its development strategy. The company negotiated revised payment schedules with financial partners and secured additional funding to continue investment projects, including the opening of a new hospital.
“In 2022 we understood that if we stopped, stopped investing and developing, we might never emerge from this crisis. So we approached banks and partners, negotiated changes to payment schedules and continued to implement our strategy,” said Liubov Tsymbal, CFO of the Dobrobut network.
The panel also highlighted the importance of professional platforms for exchanging experience between companies and banks. “Today it is extremely important for Ukrainian businesses not to face their challenges in isolation. That is why FUIB supports professional platforms where representatives from different sectors can openly discuss not only risks but, above all, the solutions that work. For us as a bank it is particularly valuable to see how the experience of one company becomes a source of new ideas for others. These discussions go far beyond individual businesses: they help rethink approaches to management, investment and partnership, and thus form the basis for resilience and further development of the Ukrainian economy. We are convinced that even in the most difficult conditions business must continue to move forward, and it is the role of financial partners to help turn these decisions into real opportunities,” said Pavlo Prytyko, director of the department for work with medium-sized business.
