New Opportunities

By Walter Kish

Readers of this column will know that I returned once again to Ukraine after the New Year in a new job.  I had come back to Canada last fall after having completed my contract managing a Canadian foreign aid project in Ukraine and spent more than a few months on the lookout for another opportunity that would take me back to the land of my ancestors - my heart and soul having been captured by this enigmatic and difficult, yet beautiful and inspiring land. 

I was thrilled that such an opportunity did indeed cross my path.  Even more interesting is the fact that Novyj Shliakh and this column, played a small but key role in the matter.  It seems that one of the paper’s subscribers and a regular reader of my scribbling was a former Canadian who made his fame and fortune in the hi-tech industry down in California in that interesting and prolific technology breeding ground known as Silicon Valley. Among other endeavours, he was a member of the Board of Directors of a rapidly growing software outsourcing company that had established significant development operations in Ukraine. He tracked me down through the newspaper and after a whirlwind courtship I agreed to join the firm as Chief Outsourcing Officer.  Those of you not familiar with my personal background, should note that my specialty by education and experience is in the world of IT, so the fit was a good one.  The company was looking for a seasoned executive that could help them build a more solid administrative and management infrastructure to enable them to deal with the rapid growth and expansion that they were experiencing.

Readers may also not be aware that Ukraine has become a rapidly growing target for outsourced software development.  The breakup of the Soviet Union left a legion of highly trained engineers and computer specialists either unemployed or underemployed, when much of the military industrial complex basically collapsed.  In addition, as one of the few positive legacies of the Soviet past, the country inherited an excellent technical education infrastructure that produces some 15,000 computer specialists of all kinds every year.  With local salaries being a fraction of what they would be in North America, it is no wonder that it has become a popular place for hi-tech companies to locate their developmental efforts. To date, India and China have been the leaders in IT outsourcing, but as competition, infrastructure limitations, language issues and other problems become more prevalent in those countries, hi-tech companies are increasingly looking to other geographies, and Eastern Europe, with Ukraine in particular,  is benefiting greatly from this trend.

On a personal level, I am thrilled to be back in Ukraine not only to continue my personal quest to collect as many interesting experiences as possible but also, to do something constructive in helping this country grow, develop and achieve its full potential as a world political and economic power. Working with Ukraine’s credit unions left me with a great sense of satisfaction in being able to help strengthen and grow a crucial piece of the financial infrastructure that will help the average Ukrainian rise from the economic penury and dependence that the Communist system imposed upon its citizens.

Now, from within the structure of a particularly dynamic part of the private sector, I hope to play a similar catalytic role in helping create new jobs, opportunities and economic growth that will benefit Ukraine, its people and its government in many ways.

Readers of this column are well aware that I have been somewhat disillusioned with political developments in Ukraine over the past year.  Yet despite the setbacks, I am convinced that Ukraine will find its proper place as a democratic, free-market country within Europe and the western world within my lifetime. Key to this will be the increasing integration of Ukraine into the global economy and the growth of a strong middle class.  Though my own contributions through my new job may be modest in the grand scheme of things, it is the cumulative effect of many such efforts that will make all the difference in the long run.  The more involved Ukraine gets in the global economy, the more it will be forced to change its internal political, economic and legal structures to conform to world standards and norms.  Sooner or later, the prosperous and influential middle class that will evolve from Ukraine’s global integration will reach the critical mass to be able to influence the political processes enough to ensure that the power structures work for the benefit of all Ukrainians and not just a privileged few.

On a more personal note, I once again have the opportunity to be able to bring you my eclectic perspectives on things Ukrainian from the source location.  Despite the many years that I have been writing this column from “over there”, I can assure you that there are no shortage of topics and issues for me to focus my neural network on.  I hope you continue to enjoy my future columns.  If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  Send your comments to “The New Pathway” by post, fax or email: npweekly@look.ca or e-mail me direct at: walterkish@hotmail.com.