Executive Brief

Vice President of Advancement
Kyiv School of Economics

Kyiv School of Economics

The Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) is a prominent educational and research institution in Ukraine, specializing in economics, management, and public policy. KSE has played a pivotal role in shaping the economic and public policy landscape in Ukraine. Its graduates are highly regarded and often occupy influential positions in academia, government, and the private sector.

The organization has several business directions: KSE University - Master's programs, KSE Business School - MBA programs, the KSE Institute – Think Tank, KSE ProfTech – unit focused on vocational/technical education, and a charity fund – the KSE Foundation.

The KSE Foundation is dedicated to the development of Ukraine and Ukrainian society through the support of education and science.

Currently, in addition to its educational programs, KSE raises funds for charitable assistance to the people and defenders of Ukraine.

According to Forbes, the KSE Foundation is one of the top 5 fundraisers that raised the most money for Ukrainians and the army during the war.

Since 2025, the KSE Foundation has been included in the CAF America registry — the Foundation has received official confirmation of its compliance with international standards of transparency and integrity.

Since 2022 KSE donors have contributed over 150 million USD toward humanitarian, defense, educational, and infrastructure initiatives.

Due to KSE’s progress and striving for ambitious growth and development on international scale the company is looking for a Vice President of Advancement to systematize the fundraising process, elevate donor engagement to a more professional and structured level, and to build an effective department focused on donor acquisition, development, and retention.

Kyiv School of Economics – Departments

KSE University

KSE University

KSE University is a leading private, non-profit institution of higher education in Ukraine, delivering rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs in economics, public policy, computer science, mathematics, and related disciplines. Known for its strong analytical focus and international academic standards, the University prepares future leaders through evidence-based education, global partnerships, and a commitment to ethical leadership. KSE University plays a critical role in developing human capital essential to Ukraine’s economic growth, democratic governance, and post-war reconstruction.

KSE Institute

KSE Institute

KSE Institute serves as the School’s applied research and policy think tank, producing independent, data-driven analysis to inform public policy and economic decision-making in Ukraine and beyond. The Institute conducts research across areas such as macroeconomics, governance, defense economics, energy, and recovery planning, and works closely with government bodies, international organizations, and donors. Through its policy engagement and thought leadership, KSE Institute translates academic expertise into actionable insights that shape national and international responses to Ukraine’s most pressing challenges.

KSE Graduate Business School

KSE Graduate Business School

The KSE Graduate Business School provides executive education and graduate-level business programs designed to strengthen leadership capacity within Ukraine’s private and public sectors. Offering MBA, executive MBA, and specialized management programs, the School emphasizes strategic thinking, responsible leadership, and modern business practices grounded in global standards. Its mission is to equip current and emerging leaders with the skills needed to drive organizational resilience, innovation, and sustainable economic development.

KSE Foundation

KSE Foundation

KSE Foundation is the philanthropic and fundraising arm of the Kyiv School of Economics, mobilizing financial support to advance education, research, and Ukraine’s recovery and development efforts. The Foundation works with international donors, institutional partners, and individual philanthropists to fund scholarships, faculty, research initiatives, infrastructure, and humanitarian and reconstruction projects. Through strategic stewardship and global engagement, KSE Foundation ensures long-term sustainability and impact across the entire KSE ecosystem.

KSE ProfTech

KSE ProfTech

KSE ProfTech is a strategically important unit within the Kyiv School of Economics, focused on vocational and technical education aligned with Ukraine’s urgent workforce needs. The unit is dedicated to developing skilled blue-collar professionals through practical, industry-driven training programs, certifications, and reskilling initiatives. By addressing critical labor shortages in technical and applied professions, KSE ProfTech plays a vital role in economic resilience, workforce reintegration, and Ukraine’s long-term recovery and reconstruction.

Kyiv School of Economics – Leadership Spotlights

Tymofiy Mylovanov – KSE, President

Tymofiy Mylovanov
KSE President, Associate Professor of the University of Pittsburgh, former minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine

Tymofiy Mylovanov serves as President of Kyiv School of Economics. He graduated from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Management in 1997 and from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy with a major in Economic Theory in 1999. In 2004, he earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA).

Throughout his professional career, Tymofiy has taught at several European and American universities, including Rheinische Friedrich–Wilhelms–Universität Bonn, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Tymofiy’s research interests include game theory, contract theory, and institutional design. His articles on these topics have been published in leading international academic journals, including Econometrica, the American Economic Review, and the Review of Economic Studies.

During the Revolution of Dignity, together with other leading economists from Ukraine and around the world, he founded the VoxUkraine platform to raise the level of economic discourse in Ukraine.

Tymofiy Mylovanov has been a long-standing member of the Academic Supervisory Board of the Kyiv School of Economics.

On July 7, 2016, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine elected Tymofiy Mylovanov to the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine. From October 2016 to August 2019, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Board.

From August 2019 to March 2020, Tymofiy Mylovanov held the position of Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine.

On April 6th, Tymofiy Milovanov returned to work at the Kyiv School of Economics as President.

In 2014 and 2015 (after which the ranking was discontinued), Forbes Ukraine included Tymofiy Mylovanov in its ranking of the best Ukrainian economists.

Thanks to his extensive economic knowledge, membership in the international academic community, and deep understanding of the situation in Ukraine, Tymofiy Mylovanov makes a significant contribution to the development of the Kyiv School of Economics.

Michael Shneider – KSE, Chief Executive Officer

Michael Shneider
KSE, Chief Executive Officer

Michael Shneider serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), where he leads strategic growth, institutional development, and cross-sector partnerships to advance the School’s mission of excellence in education, research, and policy engagement. With extensive experience in executive leadership and transformational management, Michael drives KSE’s efforts to strengthen human capital, foster innovation, and expand impact across Ukraine and internationally. Beyond his role at KSE, he serves on leadership and advisory boards, contributing to initiatives that bridge academic, public, and private sectors in support of economic and social progress.

The Opportunity – Vice President of Advancement

KSE – Vice President of Advancement – Job Description (PDF Download)

The Position

The key goal for the person will be to lead global fundraising and donor relations strategy. Reporting to the President of KSE, this role will focus on expanding and professionalizing the fundraising ecosystem with an ambitious target of raising 100 million USD per year to support academic excellence, research, innovation, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure development.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Leadership:

Develop and execute a comprehensive, long-term fundraising strategy aligned with the organization’s growth, capital, and programmatic goals.
Work closely with Foundation team and other KSE units to build the advancement function.
Build systems and processes for strategic donor engagement, cultivation and retention.
Ensure transparency, ethical fundraising practices, and compliance with international donors and regulatory standards.
Report regularly to the President on fundraising performance, strategic risks, and key opportunities.

Donor Development:

Build and nurture strong relationships with major individual donors, philanthropists, foundations, corporate partners —with a focus on North America (USA, Canada), the UK, and Europe.
Design and lead targeted fundraising campaigns and endowment strategies.
Oversee donor segmentation, pipeline development, and personalized outreach strategies with an emphasis on high-level international donor ecosystems.

Project Management (Supplementary Focus):

In addition to leading the fundraising strategy, the role includes a strategic coordination function across the Foundation’s key programmatic areas. While not the core responsibility, project engagement is an important component of collaboration with internal teams. The Foundation runs multiple high-impact humanitarian, educational, and defense-related initiatives, many of which are in different phases – from early-stage launch and scaling to ongoing support and evaluation. The fundraising leader is expected to work closely with program leads to ensure strategic alignment, donor visibility, reporting accuracy, and overall delivery quality.

Coordinate with program teams to shape proposals and, where needed, adjust existing initiatives to match donor priorities.
Ensure fundraising campaigns align with donor interests and funding opportunities.
Identify opportunities for new strategic initiatives and cross-sectoral partnerships in alignment with donor priorities and interests.
Collaborate on reporting, budgeting, and evaluation frameworks to ensure donor accountability and transparency.

Qualifications

Key Requirements:

Proven ability to raise $50M+ annually in international philanthropic settings.
Demonstrated strategic fundraising leadership across major gifts, campaigns, and endowments.
Deep knowledge of donor landscapes in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe.
Strong experience building high-performing advancement teams.
Fluency in engaging high-net-worth individuals, foundations, corporate and public-sector donors.
Ability to translate institutional goals into compelling donor proposals.
Skilled in pipeline strategy, segmentation, and high-level international outreach.
Experience aligning donor interest with program development and funding models.
Hands-on leadership in cross-functional collaboration with internal teams.
Diplomatic communicator with strong presence in international environments.
Master’s degree preferred; business education (e.g., MBA/ExecEd) is a plus.
Deep personal commitment to Ukraine’s recovery, resilience, and future.

Applications & Nominations

Kyiv School of Economics has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:

Wendy Wilsker
Managing Partner, Boston
wwilsker@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Wendy Wilsker has dedicated her entire career to the non-profit sector, serving in leadership roles within charitable organizations and working alongside them as an executive recruiter and consultant. She excels at identifying the unique challenges and opportunities non-profits face, and partners with senior leadership to build successful organizational structures, teams and advancement programs.

Lisa Vuona
Managing Partner, Boston
lvuona@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.

Shaké Sulikyan
Senior Advisor and Executive Search Consultant, Boston
ssulikyan@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Making the world a better place is Shaké Sulikyan’s mission in life. She has decades of experience in the nonprofit sector including senior leadership roles in healthcare, academic medicine, higher education, and social services. Shaké loves connecting nonprofit organizations and exceptional professionals and is honored to support social impact organizations throughout the United States. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Oleksii Dolhikh
Managing Partner, Ukraine
oleksii.dolhikh@boyden.com
LinkedIn

One of the CIS’s leading executive search consultants, Oleksii Dolhikh has supported CEOs and owners making critical hiring decisions. He focuses on C-level professionals in general management, finance and HR as well as board members in a range of industries. Clients trust Oleksii’s expertise and deep understanding of the organisational and governance issues inherent in recruiting senior executives.

Alina Litvinova
Principal, Ukraine
alina.litvinova@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Alina Litvinova began her executive search career in 2004 and has since developed solid experience with searches in consumer products, retail, logistics and hospitality. She focuses primarily on C-level placements in a range of functions including production, sales and marketing. Alina also has experience closing international projects in CEE and the CIS for national and multinational firms.

Daryna Gorbenko
Analyst, Ukraine
daryna.gorbenko@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Daryna Gorbenko has a background in recruitment, providing her with a solid foundation for advancing as an executive search professional. Additionally, her international background and language skills augment her ability to source top-tier leadership and help enhance relationships with candidates, particularly in the consumer sector.

Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.