Following the proposal of Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the appointment of candidates to the Supervisory Boards of the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) and the State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT), acquisition agencies of the Ministry of Defence.

“The appointment of Supervisory Boards of DPA and DOT is a significant step towards compliance with international standards in defense acquisition. This guarantees independent control over processes, minimizes corruption risks, and increases trust in the system both within the country and on the part of our international partners,” said Minister of Defence of Ukraine Rustem Umerov.

Establishing supervisory boards marks a significant milestone in the reform of MoD’s acquisition agencies, a process initiated by the Ministry of Defence team in January 2024.

“The Ministry of Defence has built a corporate structure of acquisition agencies based on the OECD and NATO best practices. I want to extend my profound thanks to the Minister and the Government for their support. I also express my appreciation to the public for their committed cooperation. This step opens a new phase for developing acquisition agencies, increasing their transparency and efficiency. I am confident that following the launch of the supervisory boards, we will be able to enhance management and oversight in this critical area significantly,” said Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Klimenkov.

By including both Ukrainian and international experts, the Supervisory Boards will facilitate the integration of global expertise into the reform process for defense acquisition. The Supervisory Boards will be independent in their activities, as most members were selected through open competitions.

In particular, the Government approved the appointment of the following persons to the Supervisory Board of the Defence Procurement Agency as independent members:

• Patrick Auroy (has more than 30 years of managerial experience in the defense sector of France and within NATO frameworks. In his role as NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, he chaired the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors);

• Kateryna Kuznetsova (has more than 25 years of global experience in auditing and corporate finance, including a directorial role at PwC UK);

• Łukasz Stolarski (during his 18 years at NSPA NATO, he managed multinational teams and complex logistics);

as state representatives:

• Yuriy Dzhygyr (Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine, economist with over 20 years of experience in promoting reforms in public financial management, social policy, and the decentralization of fiscal systems);

• Taras Chmut (Director of the “Come Back Alive” Foundation).

The Government also approved the appointment of members of the Supervisory Board of the State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition:

as independent members:

• Simon Woodward (has a broad background in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, retail, consumer goods, catering, military goods, and high-risk goods, with experience in both the UK and international markets;

• Hanna Demchenko (has over two decades of expertise in the finance sector, having been employed by global companies);

• Mykola Roienko (has experience in implementing compliance functions, internal audits, internal investigations of possible abuses, establishing controlling and budgeting functions, working on IPO projects, and auditing financial statements of leading companies);

as state representatives:

• Nadiia Bihun (as Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, she coordinates the development and implementation of state policy in the sector of public acquisition, development of competitive relations and government partnership);

• Yulia Marushevska (Head of the Office for Support of Changes at the Ministry of Defence).

In March 2024, DPA and DOT acquisition agencies announced the selection of professional recruitment companies via the Prozorro system. These companies were responsible for aiding in the selection of independent members to the supervisory boards of the relevant acquisition agencies. Talent Advisors LLC (Odgers Berndtson) won the tender for the DPA, and World Executive Partners LLC (Heidrick & Struggles) won the tender for the DOT.

In the next step, the recruitment companies selected and compiled lists of prospective applicants who were invited to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Defence for interviews.

To save on public finances, recruitment services were funded by a donor, specifically the Support Programme of Special Adviser on Defence at the UK Embassy in Kyiv, which is financed by the Government of the United Kingdom.