Founder & President CEO Clubs Ukraine

Evolve: Please share rundown of your professional background with us?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: I have been working in a sphere of a social brokerage for over ten years. It all started at university when my strong desire to develop myself and find the best opportunities put the beginning for initiating a student-run organization for young leaders. Later, while working as a consultant in a real estate, I saw the need for professionals and companies to share knowledge and experience and develop the industry itself, and started Ukrainian Real Estate Club. I also was involved in launching Ukrainian branch of Young Presidents Organization in Kyiv and supported building many community-based businesses. My biggest projects so far are Young Business Club – organization that brings together more than 200 young entrepreneurs, and CEO Club – business club for 150 owners and CEOs with a year turnover over $10 mln.

Evolve: What motivated you to get associated with CEO Clubs Worldwide?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: At CEO Club Ukraine, we have always been striving to bring the best opportunities to our members in terms of business partnership and individual development. We started searching organizations like ours and discovered there is an entire worldwide network that has similar goals and shares same values as we do. We met with Joe Mancuso, President of CEO Club International in Spain at their launch event. After some rounds of planning and negotiation we joined the network and officially became part of CEO Clubs Worldwide. This was a next step in our development, as our members now have access to all network events and can build successful partnerships with businessmen all over the world thanks to this decision.

Evolve: How are you inspiring non-members to get attracted towards CEO Clubs Worldwide?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: For all 6 years, we’ve never put too many efforts into members’ attraction and grew rather organically: happy members spread the world about what we do and refer us to other businessmen. Talking about our value proposition, I would highlight the following:

-   Strict criteria for members’ selection. This ensures a unique atmosphere of trust and cooperation.

-   Wide range of different formats for development, communication and cooperation. We run over 100 events a year covering business topics, family-related topics, informal discussion clubs, peer-to-peer meetings for resolving members’ business cases etc.

-   International opportunities: as already mentioned, by joining CEO Club International we provide access to the network of 15000 members worldwide.

Evolve: What are the important benchmarks if kept in a right direction can help any company to climb a ladder of success?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: I truly believe that any company (and this highly depends on it’s leaders!) should stay agile, no matter the size and competition level. Constant learning and improving should be the main priority. If you are able to understand a business context with its slightest changes, if you listen to your customers and make every effort to improve, there is a high chance you will stay in a row.

Evolve: How to maintain a diversified culture in your organization ensuring the respect of every belief/doctrine?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: I think that in a small company culture is defined by its leader. If they demonstrate integrity and respect, there is a high chance all organization is going to be this way. For big companies, relevant policies should be implemented, but still the standards are set by leaders.

Evolve: What are your leadership ways to formally appraise the performance of employees?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: In my organization, we have a semi-formal appraisal process with quarterly held meetings. At these meeting every employee is expected to answer following questions:

-    What are your achievement for the period and what was the resulting business impact?

-    What could have been done differently in order to get better results?

-    What do you plan to achieve during the upcoming period?

-    What are your learning plans for the upcoming quarter?

I believe that recognition of employees is an important role of any manager. Besides a detailed feedback at personal meetings, manager should practice public appreciation of their subordinates.

Evolve: How as a CEO you communicate your organization’s strategic directions?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: At CEO Club Ukraine, we have year strategic overviews where we discuss our general direction and set goals. We also have regular quarter team meetings to make needed corrections and align action plans.

Evolve: What is the biggest obstacle you have come across in your professional journey?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: The biggest obstacle in my career as a professional community manager was to find a balance between managing a club (which is supposed to be formed as slowly as possible in order to build a strong culture) and making business out of it, as building networks and communities is my primary job, not a hobby.

Evolve: What are you really into outside of work?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: I am really fond of reading, mostly non-fiction, literature that helps me understand global processes and issues, complex problems in politics and business environment.

Also, I am really into sports. Training helps me stay energized and switch off from the busy schedule.

Evolve: What are a few resources you would recommend someone to gain insight on becoming a better leader?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: TEDx – a platform for sharing the greatest ideas. I find many inspiring talks from the greatest minds of today.

Stratfor – worldview of the processes taking place in the world. This helps to develop a global mindset

Evolve: How do you perceive about Pakistan and what are your future plans to take business initiative in Pakistan?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: Ukraine and Pakistan have friendly relations since 1991 when Pakistan officially recognized Ukraine as an independent state. Today we cooperate in such fields as education, cultural exchange, aerospace engineering, aerospace technologies, medical and biological sciences. I believe that cooperation between CEO Clubs can be a significant step forward to even better relations.

Evolve: Any message to the readers of EVOLVE?

Mr. Serhiy Haydaychuk: My main message to respected readers is to think globally. In today’s fast moving world of disruptive innovations borders between countries will be more and more eliminated. Successful businessmen should build international networking and strive for a global mindset. Be the first among those leaders.