The Joint Stock Company "Ukrainian Defense Industry" (Ukroboronprom) has a new head. Following an open competition, the company's supervisory board appointed Herman Smetanin, who already had experience leading the defense giant, as CEO. This was reported by Ukroboronprom on Wednesday, according to UNN.
Herman Smetanin re-appointed as head of Ukroboronprom
Details
14 candidates participated in the competition, selected by the international company Odgers Berndtson – a global leader in executive search. After several evaluation stages, only the strongest contenders reached the final, with whom the supervisory board conducted interviews before making the final decision.
Why Smetanin?
The head of Ukroboronprom's supervisory board, David Lomjaria, emphasized that Smetanin's candidacy was chosen due to his deep knowledge of both the internal processes of the concern's enterprises and the specifics of the defense-industrial complex's work at the government level.
"Herman Smetanin has gained unique experience and is well-versed in both the internal processes of enterprises and the organization of the defense-industrial complex at the government level. This complex of knowledge allows for effective organization of Ukroboronprom's work and a strategic vision for the industry's development," Lomjaria noted.
For reference
Herman Smetanin was born on October 8, 1992, in Kharkiv. He received an engineering degree from the Kharkiv National University of Urban Economy and studied at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
Since 2021, he has held leadership positions at Ukrainian defense enterprises: he headed the Kharkiv Armored Plant, and in 2023, he was appointed director of the Malyshev Plant.
In June 2023, Smetanin became the CEO of JSC "Ukrainian Defense Industry."
On September 5, 2024, he headed the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
Recall
In July, Ukroboronprom's supervisory board appointed Herman Smetanin as acting CEO of the concern. This decision was made due to Oleg Hulyak's transfer to another position in the state defense industry.