On 29 May, the Mykolaiv City Council approved the composition of the Supervisory Board of the water supply municipal enterprise “Mykolaivvodokanal”. The board includes three independent members selected through a transparent open competition and two representatives of the city.
The Supervisory Board will be fully empowered — from appointing executive management and approving financial plans to authorizing major transactions. Launching the board is a key step in the corporate governance reform initiated by Mykolaiv’s Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych in partnership with the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI).
Notably, for the first time in Ukraine, a majority of the members of a municipal enterprise’s Supervisory Board were selected through an open competition. The Selection Committee included independent recruiters, external experts, international partners, and community representatives (city council members).
Over 50 candidates applied for the selection of independent members of the supervisory board, with 37 advancing to the competitive selection process. 14 candidates were shortlisted for final interviews with the Selection Committee.
The first Supervisory Board of “Mykolaivvodokanal” includes:
- Bjorn Kaare Hansen, Senior Advisor and Project Manager at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Head of the Water4All initiative, and member of the Supervisory Board of Aarhus Water Ltd
- Andriy Haidutskyi, Independent Board Member at JSC “Kominbank” (until January 2025), Doctor of Economics, Master in International Economic Relations (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), and MBA with a focus on Strategy and Corporate Governance (KDI School, South Korea)
- Andrii Yefimov, Supervisory Board Member at JSC “Tascombank,” CEO of the Financial Operations Control Department for Strategic Assets at TAS Group
- Serhii Shkliar, Founding Partner at Arzinger Law Firm, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, Attorney, Doctor of Law
- Hanna Montavon, Institutional and Legal Advisor at the German Development Bank (KfW), Founder of the NGO “Mykolaiv Water Hub”
The creation of the Supervisory Board of “Mykolaivvodokanal” is part of the implementation of the Corporate Governance Roadmap, developed for Mykolaiv City Council with the EUACI’s support and with the involvement of the law firm Vasyl Kisil & Partners. The entire selection process was facilitated by the Professional Association of Corporate Governance.
EUACI will continue to support Mykolaiv in transforming its municipal enterprises, including the implementation of corporate governance at two other key companies – “Mykolaivoblteploenergo” and “Mykolaivelectrotrans.”
The Mykolaiv experience has the potential to become a revolutionary shift in the governance of municipal enterprises in Ukraine, creating strong conditions for reducing corruption risks and ensuring greater efficiency and accountability.
Congratulations to Mykolaiv!
