Due to the transition of Oleh Huliak, Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Stock Company “Ukrainian Defence Industry”, to another position within the state defence sector, the Supervisory Board of the Company has decided to appoint Herman Smetanin as Acting CEO of JSC “Ukrainian Defence Industry.”

This decision was made based on a professional assessment of Herman Smetanin as a specialist with extensive experience in the defence industry, strong managerial competencies, and a strategic vision for the sector’s development.

The Supervisory Board expresses its gratitude to Oleh Huliak for his dedicated, professional, and effective work as CEO of Ukroboronprom. Under his leadership, the company successfully continued implementing the key objectives set by Ukraine’s leadership: increasing the production of weapons and military equipment, reforming corporate governance, and establishing a robust anti-corruption framework. The international partnerships of JSC “Ukrainian Defence Industry” with foreign defence companies also grew significantly, as did the development and introduction of advanced defence products.

As a result, last year 96% of all weapons and military equipment produced were new or modernized models. Moreover, in 2024, the company’s consolidated net profit exceeded UAH 1.309 billion.

The Supervisory Board of JSC “Ukrainian Defence Industry” reaffirms its commitment to the principles of sound corporate governance, legality, transparency, and independence in making personnel decisions — in line with both Ukrainian legislation and international best practices. The Board recognizes the importance of maintaining the trust of the public, international partners, and participants in the defence industry.

The Supervisory Board announces an open and transparent competition for the position of CEO of the Joint Stock Company. Herman Smetanin, along with all other qualified candidates, will be eligible to participate in the competition on equal terms.

The Ukrainian office of the international executive search firm Odgers Berndtson, which specializes in senior-level recruitment, will conduct the selection and preliminary evaluation of candidates.

The search process will begin on July 28, 2025. All interested candidates may submit their CVs to: Ivanna.Hurska@Odgers.com.