On 4 April 2025, the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) and the British Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (BUCC) co-hosted the USUBC-BUCC Business Forum in Kyiv, titled “International Development Institutions Supporting Investment and Regional Development in Ukraine: On the Road to the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome.” The event brought together international development institution leaders, diplomats, G7 development agency representatives, Ukrainian government officials, regional leaders, and members of the business community from both USUBC and BUCC.
The Forum served as an important milestone ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome, aimed at aligning private-sector engagement with international strategies for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The discussions focused on financial instruments, investment opportunities, funding mechanisms, procurement strategies, and the evolving role of international institutions in Ukraine’s economic revival.
The Business Forum featured two core panels. The Procurement Panel focused on infrastructure reconstruction priorities, procurement frameworks, and the allocation of recovery-related funding. This panel was moderated by Greg Fishman, Secretary-Treasurer of USUBC. Distinguished speakers included Vicki Aken, Ukraine Country Director at Mercy Corps; Tetiana Korotka, Deputy Business Ombudsman for Recovery Projects; Bob Saum, Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe at the World Bank; Nadiia Petruchenko, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at SPP Development Ukraine Group of Companies; and Francesca Scott, Country Director for Trade and Investment at the British Embassy in Kyiv.
The second panel – the Investment Panel – centered on unlocking financing for private-sector engagement, investment project preparation, and funding initiatives supporting regional development. Moderated by Irina Paliashvili, President & CEO of USUBC, and Jock Mendoza-Wilson, Joint Chair of BUCC and Director of International and Investor Relations at System Capital Management, the panel featured: Lisa Kaestner, Regional Manager for Ukraine at the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Mykola Lukashuk, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Council; Ievgen Metsger, Chairman of the Management Board of the Ukrainian Financial Housing Company (UFHC); Sergii Naumov, Chairman of the Management Board at Oschadbank; and Arvid Tuerkner, Managing Director for Ukraine and Moldova at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Forum concluded with a Networking Reception, providing attendees with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with speakers, decision-makers, and potential partners.
We are deeply grateful to Forum’s Premium Partners SPP Development Ukraine Group of Companies and BGV Group Management for their generous support.
