Well, our event on 26 June was a success, although we only attracted 47 people, probably due to the clash with the Euro 2008 football.
Thanks to Busin Ins and Willis Insurance for presenting an interesting subject on Directors and Officers Liability Insurance, a growth market in Ukraine I am sure.
Plus this was our first meeting at MASTERKLASS and many thanks go to Frank McGovern.
MASTERKLASS are also our members now.
Our next meeting will also be at the same venue when we will be promoting the Royal Kyiv Golf Club on 17 July. At last we will have a golf club in Kyiv, (construction is already underway) developed by GV Group Consulting together with a British Golf course designer, this is GREAT news and we hope to attract a bigger crowd to this event.
This is a great year inUkraine
30 June 2008
14 June 2008
Summer is here
Our next event will be on 26 June at the new MASTERKLASS facilities in Kyiv.
Presentations wil be given by two insurance companies on the liabilities of directors in Ukraine.
Plus we are also planning our July event which will be VERY SPECIAL, we are bringing together all those people who have ben waiting a long time to play golf in Ukraine, but we are not ready to offer the golf course just yet, but construction is underway and we want to present the project to as many people as we can.
We have decided to offer more services through the BBCU, since the arrival of Tony Wood who has a reputation as a banking consultant. Banking is a significant growth sector in Ukraine and needs alot of help as the sector develops. So, we are launching a Banking Forum to help senior banking professionals discuss the issues that need to be addressed in Ukraine and feedback in very positive.
Plus we are offering a new series of training courses to banks in a whole range of subjects designed to help retain and motivate staff.
Finally today is another special day in Kyiv as Sir Paul McCartney performs live in Kyiv later today to an expected record crowd in Independence Square.
So, summer is here and the next few months are going to be exciting.
Presentations wil be given by two insurance companies on the liabilities of directors in Ukraine.
Plus we are also planning our July event which will be VERY SPECIAL, we are bringing together all those people who have ben waiting a long time to play golf in Ukraine, but we are not ready to offer the golf course just yet, but construction is underway and we want to present the project to as many people as we can.
We have decided to offer more services through the BBCU, since the arrival of Tony Wood who has a reputation as a banking consultant. Banking is a significant growth sector in Ukraine and needs alot of help as the sector develops. So, we are launching a Banking Forum to help senior banking professionals discuss the issues that need to be addressed in Ukraine and feedback in very positive.
Plus we are offering a new series of training courses to banks in a whole range of subjects designed to help retain and motivate staff.
Finally today is another special day in Kyiv as Sir Paul McCartney performs live in Kyiv later today to an expected record crowd in Independence Square.
So, summer is here and the next few months are going to be exciting.
26 April 2008
We are getting bigger and better...I think!
Our April networking meeting - Banking and Finance was another successful event.
56 people attended and our guest speaker was Oleg Strynzha, Head of Finance, Universal Bank.
I must give special thanks to my wife Alina for doing all the organising for the catering. Alina did a great job in true Ukrainian tradition borrowing glasses from a friend who owns a resturant and buying and preparing all the food herself.
Plus we now have Nicholas Kokuciak as our Development Manager for the BBCU. Nik is British and has lived in Ukraine for some time. He also speaks Russian and Ukrainian.
As always I continue to meet some very interesting people at each meeting. I want to follow up talking to Yuriy Vaskevych, President of Royal Kyiv Golf Club, (project under development). The sooner we can have a real golf course in Kyiv the better.
Finally, I must also thank Vlad Sigalov from Inter Media Group (owners of Inter TV) for allowing us to use their excellent facilities for our meetings.
Spring is here and Kyiv is looking green again. We are now entering the traditional May holiday season and most businesses will close all next week and many people will take 'extended holidays' of 2-3 weeks. This is Ukraine.
56 people attended and our guest speaker was Oleg Strynzha, Head of Finance, Universal Bank.
I must give special thanks to my wife Alina for doing all the organising for the catering. Alina did a great job in true Ukrainian tradition borrowing glasses from a friend who owns a resturant and buying and preparing all the food herself.
Plus we now have Nicholas Kokuciak as our Development Manager for the BBCU. Nik is British and has lived in Ukraine for some time. He also speaks Russian and Ukrainian.
As always I continue to meet some very interesting people at each meeting. I want to follow up talking to Yuriy Vaskevych, President of Royal Kyiv Golf Club, (project under development). The sooner we can have a real golf course in Kyiv the better.
Finally, I must also thank Vlad Sigalov from Inter Media Group (owners of Inter TV) for allowing us to use their excellent facilities for our meetings.
Spring is here and Kyiv is looking green again. We are now entering the traditional May holiday season and most businesses will close all next week and many people will take 'extended holidays' of 2-3 weeks. This is Ukraine.
30 March 2008
March 2008 - Networking Event - Legal Services
Our March event on 27th was another success, the theme was -Legal Services.
We invited a whole 'pack' of lawyers (about 52 of them) from around Kyiv and our guest speaker was Oleg Vysochynskyy, Partner from the law firm Grischenko & Partners, who privided a speech on bank takeovers and mergers in Ukraine.
I think my jokes about lawyers went down OK. None of them threatened legal action against me, so I guess it was acceptable. My favourite joke has to be: What's black and brown and looks good on a lawyer?.....A Doberman Pinscher!! (But some jokes just don't translate so well).
We changed the catering company and were provided with better service, I hope they can maintain the standard. Plus I want to say thanks to Peter Flanaghan who has stepped forward and volunteered to help organise our events and maybe start cleaning up our web site to improve our image. Peter has lived in Ukraine for about 12 years and knows alot about 'The Ukrainian way' of doing things.
Plus we have had more new members joining this month, so things are going according to plan.
Onward and forward.
We invited a whole 'pack' of lawyers (about 52 of them) from around Kyiv and our guest speaker was Oleg Vysochynskyy, Partner from the law firm Grischenko & Partners, who privided a speech on bank takeovers and mergers in Ukraine.
I think my jokes about lawyers went down OK. None of them threatened legal action against me, so I guess it was acceptable. My favourite joke has to be: What's black and brown and looks good on a lawyer?.....A Doberman Pinscher!! (But some jokes just don't translate so well).
We changed the catering company and were provided with better service, I hope they can maintain the standard. Plus I want to say thanks to Peter Flanaghan who has stepped forward and volunteered to help organise our events and maybe start cleaning up our web site to improve our image. Peter has lived in Ukraine for about 12 years and knows alot about 'The Ukrainian way' of doing things.
Plus we have had more new members joining this month, so things are going according to plan.
Onward and forward.
02 March 2008
February Meeting EVEN BETTER
The BBCU February meeting on 28th was a great success, moreover it was a joint meeting with the British Ukranian Society (BUS). We had over 100 people packed into the top floor at INTER TV and our two VIP guests Nicholas Soames MP and Richard Spring MP demonstrated the very high level of professionalism people expected from British members of parliament.
Most of the formal part of the event revolved around the future expectations of Ukraine and future membership of both NATO and the EU. Both speakers made it clear that it was up to UKRAINE to decide its own future and that no pressure was being put on anyone or any government to join or not to join. But we were all happy to see from a raise of hands amongst our Ukrainian members that THEY thought Ukraine could over come the hurdles to one day join the EU.
I have now found two more people who are interested in helping to promote the BBCU and increase the membership, so the March meeting may even prove to be equally interesting.
Most of the formal part of the event revolved around the future expectations of Ukraine and future membership of both NATO and the EU. Both speakers made it clear that it was up to UKRAINE to decide its own future and that no pressure was being put on anyone or any government to join or not to join. But we were all happy to see from a raise of hands amongst our Ukrainian members that THEY thought Ukraine could over come the hurdles to one day join the EU.
I have now found two more people who are interested in helping to promote the BBCU and increase the membership, so the March meeting may even prove to be equally interesting.
09 February 2008
Positive Steps Forward - WTO Membership for Ukraine
Well done to Ukraine. Its official, this week Ukraine joined the World Trade Organisation. Like many, I hope this brings benefits to businesses in Ukraine, but also allows for many restrictions to be lifted on doing business WITH Ukraine.
Just this week, I was contacted by a British company who were having problems getting paid by a Ukrainian company. I explained the long beaucratic process businesses must endure in order to make payments outside of Ukraine. (Translation of invoices and then approved by a lawyer etc)
But maybe good news is that from next week, residents and non residents can transfer higher amounts of money to other countries. But expats (if they are non residents) will still have to prove where they got the money from. I still transfer spending money to my daughters in England by Western Union, because its easier than using a bank. (Actually my wife sends it, as she is Ukrainian, I being a 'foreigner' cannot send money so easily)
Like many I am optimistic about the future and changes will come eventually. One problem we still have in Ukraine is that laws are passed by Parliament, but there is no real system for dissemination of law. It takes along time for the people on the ground (at customs posts etc) to become aware of the laws and procedures.
Just this week, I was contacted by a British company who were having problems getting paid by a Ukrainian company. I explained the long beaucratic process businesses must endure in order to make payments outside of Ukraine. (Translation of invoices and then approved by a lawyer etc)
But maybe good news is that from next week, residents and non residents can transfer higher amounts of money to other countries. But expats (if they are non residents) will still have to prove where they got the money from. I still transfer spending money to my daughters in England by Western Union, because its easier than using a bank. (Actually my wife sends it, as she is Ukrainian, I being a 'foreigner' cannot send money so easily)
Like many I am optimistic about the future and changes will come eventually. One problem we still have in Ukraine is that laws are passed by Parliament, but there is no real system for dissemination of law. It takes along time for the people on the ground (at customs posts etc) to become aware of the laws and procedures.
03 February 2008
Should Ukraine join the EU?
Its going to be very interesting this year in Ukraine with a lot of discussion about the possibilities of Ukraine joining the EU- ONE DAY in the future.
So to help the process our next BBCU event will be a debate/audience participation meeting with that subject in mind. Thursday 28 February will be a joint event together with the British Ukrainian Society. Plus we hope that Nicholas Soames MP will attend together with Richard Spring MP
Details should now be available on the web site: www.bbcu.com.ua
So to help the process our next BBCU event will be a debate/audience participation meeting with that subject in mind. Thursday 28 February will be a joint event together with the British Ukrainian Society. Plus we hope that Nicholas Soames MP will attend together with Richard Spring MP
Details should now be available on the web site: www.bbcu.com.ua
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