In ordinary times, food retail is a business of customers, margins and logistics. In wartime Kyiv, it became part of the country’s critical social infrastructure.
We invite you to a BMI Board Network gathering and a candid discussion of an exceptional European governance case: how the Novus food retail network responded to the shock of Russia’s full-scale invasion, continued serving communities in and around Kyiv, supported humanitarian relief and began rebuilding while the war was still unfolding.
This invitation-only gathering is reserved for members of the BMI community and selected guests who have received a personal invitation.
This is not an ordinary case of governance or business continuity. Decisions had to be made amid physical danger, severe uncertainty, damaged infrastructure, disrupted supply chains and rapidly changing security conditions. Reliable information was scarce, circumstances changed by the hour, and the consequences of delay extended beyond commercial performance.
The case raises questions that reach far beyond Ukraine and the retail sector. How do leaders make sound decisions when established processes are no longer fast enough? How should authority be distributed when local teams must act immediately? How can an organisation protect its people, maintain essential operations and preserve accountability at the same time?
Novus entered the crisis having increased essential stocks, protected critical data and strengthened its IT resilience. Once the invasion began, employee safety became the priority, while stores were given greater autonomy to respond locally. Supply chains had to be redesigned continuously, facilities were damaged or destroyed, and normal commercial assumptions gave way to a more immediate objective: keeping food available to communities. The same infrastructure and operational expertise later became a foundation for the Food for Ukraine humanitarian initiative, helping donations reach people in and around Kyiv.
The conversation will examine not only what worked, but also what proved insufficient, what new risks emerged and what leaders, executives and boards might prepare for – or govern differently – today.
During the discussion, we will explore:
- Which preparations proved useful – and where planning fell short
- How authority was decentralised when speed and local judgement became essential, and what new risks this created
- How leaders balanced employee safety, operational continuity and responsibility to local communities
- What controls had to be relaxed, and how boards and executives maintained oversight and accountability without slowing the response
- How commercial operations and humanitarian activities were separated and governed
- What rebuilding required as customers, employees, suppliers and the wider operating environment changed
Guest speakers:
Dr Nerijus Udrėnas
Dr Nerijus Udrėnas is a Partnership Professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University, specialising in political economy. He is also Director of the Maistas Ukrainai – Food for Ukraine fund.
Combining perspectives from political economy, business and humanitarian action, he will reflect on how organisations operate when commercial continuity, public responsibility and geopolitical risk become inseparable. His direct involvement in Food for Ukraine will provide an inside perspective on both the opportunities and the governance challenges created when business infrastructure is used to support humanitarian objectives.
Gintautas Pavalkis
Gintautas Pavalkis is a senior executive at BT Invest, the Lithuanian investment group behind NOVUS, and has held board-level responsibility for the retailer’s operations in Ukraine. A growth- and expansion-focused general manager with extensive M&A experience, he has been closely involved in developing NOVUS in Kyiv and guiding the business through the operational shock of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Drawing on direct experience of decisions made from the first days of the war, he will reflect on how leadership teams protected employees, decentralised authority, rebuilt supply chains and kept essential food retail operating under extreme uncertainty. He will also discuss how NOVUS’s commercial capabilities were mobilised to support the Food for Ukraine initiative, and what the experience revealed about governance, accountability, organisational resilience and the role of business as critical social infrastructure.
Moderator: Mantas Dubauskas
The conversation will be moderated by Mantas Dubauskas, Director at Repoint PR, independent board member and EMBA alumnus of BMI Executive Institute.
Mantas brings a strong governance background and extensive experience in strategic communication, stakeholder management and crisis leadership. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with executives, boards and policymakers in complex, high-stakes environments, helping organisations build trust and navigate transformation. He will guide the discussion from the operational realities of the Novus story towards its broader board-level implications: accountability, decision rights, organisational trust and leadership under extreme pressure.
Note: Please note that this is an invitation-only event. Registration is not open to the public.
Register