Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming Derek Berlin, Senior Vice President of Global Government Solutions at Logistics Plus Inc., to the AUK Campus in Kyiv. Logistics Plus Inc. is a global leader in logistics, supply chain, and business solutions, headquartered in the United States and operating in over 40 countries.
As a valued partner and one of AUK’s donors, Logistics Plus supports the AUK Global Internship Program, offering students internship opportunities in the USA.
During an offline AUK Talks titled “Global economic challenges in turbulent times and the role of Logistics Plus in combating them,” which was moderated by AUK Vice President Oleksii Shershnov and Oleksandra Yusupova, an AUK student, Manager of Government Relations, Logistics Plus Inc., Derek Berlin shared his insights on global economic disruptions, the role of logistics and supply chains in times of uncertainty, and his international experience, including work in China. He also addressed intercultural leadership and cross-border cooperation in complex geopolitical situations.
Since joining the company in 2023, Mr. Berlin has focused extensively on Ukraine. Following the full-scale invasion, Logistics Plus opened two offices in the country and became one of the first US companies to resume deliveries to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
During his address, Derek Berlin shared vital advice, stating,
“If you understand how capital markets work, you know how corporates and governments engage in that space. This is a tool and knowledge set that will give you mobility wherever you are.
Global capital is the lifeblood that makes the system run, and Ukraine's ability, whether from a small business to your central bank, to effectively tap into that is going to be a defining feature of how stable and comfortable this country will be in the future, and then the speed with which it recovers”.
The discussion was co-moderated by Oleksandra Yusupova, an AUK student who completed internships at Logistics Plus through AUK’s Global Internship Program and continues to grow within the company.
We thank Derek Berlin for his leadership and support for Ukraine, and we appreciate the contributions from our guests — Andreas Giallourakis (Embassy Sweden in Kyiv), Maryan Martynyuk (MORIS Law Firm), Thomas Venon (Centre for Development Finance Studies), and Andrii Krutyi (Logistics Plus Ukraine) — for their insightful reflections shared during the discussion.
Special thanks to AUK Vice President Oleksii Shershnov and Oleksandra Yusupova for their excellent moderation of the event!
Dnipro
