Metinvest Group ranked first in the “Metallurgy” category of the “Reputational ACTIVists 2025,” the 10th National Rating of Corporate Reputation Management Quality. The Group has maintained its reputational leadership in the industry for ten consecutive years.
This year’s jury included independent analysts, industry experts and journalists from leading business media outlets. They evaluated companies across various sectors of the economy and selected those whose reputation management systems demonstrated the greatest efficiency, resilience and maturity in the face of adapting to a prolonged war, recession and reputational turbulence. The winners were announced at the PRNext International Forum held on 3 April in Kyiv.
The forum has remained the key professional event of the year in the field of reputation management for more than two decades. PRNext’25 featured more than 20 speakers, including international experts, representatives of Ukraine’s corporate sector and celebrities.
One of the forum’s highlights was the “Industrial Ukraine: Myth, Reality or Missed Chance” panel, with Oleg Davydenko, Director of the Corporate Communications Department at Metinvest Group, among the speakers. The discussion also featured representatives from Interpipe, Nova Poshta, Athlon Avia Scientific-Production Enterprise and the New Products Group of companies.
Davydenko noted that, by 2022, industry accounted for two-thirds of GDP. Now, despite the overall downturn, industry remains the pillar supporting adjacent sectors and supports the entire economy. Following the reopening of maritime borders and changes in logistics, industry continues to live and increase exports.
He said: “Victory will certainly come. But we must start preparing for it now, from within. This means having the potential for a rapid take-off. We will either accept having everything imported — goods, technology, specialists — or preserve our own economy and production capacities to independently produce steel and develop related sectors.”
Davydenko believes that the most important thing is to preserve human potential. He emphasised: “Many people have left, many are on the frontline, and we have already lost a significant share of our technical, scientific and production resources. This is a critical area we must prioritise. We cannot afford to import engineers and technical specialists — we must bring back our own along with a love for the profession.”
The Director of Metinvest’s Corporate Communications Department is convinced that a passion for technical specialities is what is paving the way for Ukraine’s new industrialisation. He said: “This is not the old Soviet industry, but a modern one — where IT is integrated into engineering, metallurgy and mining specialities, forming a renewed industrial foundation for the country. This is not about a metallurgist who has mastered IT, but about an IT specialist who chooses to work in industry. Such an approach is shaping Ukraine’s new industrialisation.”
Davydenko said that Ukrainian business is now present in Europe. He added: “We are competitive and do not need preferences — only equal access to resources and fair rules. These are the basic conditions that the state must provide for industrial development. But success demands more: effective cooperation between business and the state, and the creation of an international reputation and brand. On the other hand, Ukrainian business already has a new brand characteristic — unbreakable.”
During the war, supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine has become an important part of the reputation of any socially responsible business. Metinvest has established separate steel production facilities for the front line, including armour, “hideouts,” protection for people and equipment, and more. The head of Metinvest’s corporate communications said: “The only problem is the queue of requests we receive to produce all of this. We are struggling to find people — we have over 3,000 vacancies. After the war ends, this may become a separate industry. But we will continue producing steel nonetheless.”
In his opinion, reputation, like shares on the stock exchange, reflects a company’s potential for decades to come. In the same way, Ukraine’s reputation on the global stage builds trust for many years to come. Davydenko noted: “This reputation becomes the foundation for a strong brand, which we are building for the first time in 33 years of independence. And this is directly related to business.”
He emphasised that Ukraine needs security guarantees in order to attract any investment. And Metinvest is ready to become a cornerstone of the industry’s revival and Ukraine’s economic recovery.
