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Michael Bno-AyriyanUkrainian diplomat, producer and director, manager, deputy director of the State Enterprise "National Energy Company "Ukrenergo"
Date of Birth: 01.02.1984
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Journalism Career
- Diplomatic Service
- Government Roles
- Zhytomyr Oblast Governor Competition
- Ukrenergo
- Ukrenergo Rebranding
- Integration with ENTSO-E
- New Ukrenergo Strategy
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- "Green Coal Paradox"
- Chairman of Kyiv Oblast State Administration
- Governance and Transparency
- Combating Corruption
Early Life and Education
Mikhail Bno-Ayriyan was born in Lviv, Ukraine, where he graduated from School No. 45 with a gold medal. In 2007, he earned a Master's degree with honors in International Economic Relations and a translator's qualification in Arabic from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Subsequently, between 2007 and 2009, he pursued an MBA in International Oil and Gas Business at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 2012, he participated in a program for government officials from developing countries organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore.
Journalism Career
Bno-Ayriyan's career in journalism began in 2004 at the business publication "Business," where he covered industries such as mining and metallurgy, manufacturing, engineering, international relations, energy, and international trade. During his tenure, he authored over 330 articles and conducted several investigative journalism pieces.
Diplomatic Service
Between 2009 and 2011, Bno-Ayriyan served as Third and Second Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in Russia, handling bilateral cooperation in the fuel and energy sector.
Upon his return to Ukraine in December 2011, he became an aide to Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, responsible for economic affairs, cooperation with the Middle East, Africa, and the CIS, and the economization of foreign policy. In March 2011, he initiated the creation of the Exporters' Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became its Executive Secretary. The organization, led by Gryshchenko, comprised 75 large businesses and corporations. During his tenure, four Council meetings were held, and he advocated for strengthening collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and regional authorities to promote their interests in international markets.
Government Roles
In January 2013, Bno-Ayriyan became an adviser on humanitarian issues to Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Gryshchenko. During this period, Ukraine transitioned to international standards, including the EU's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for pharmaceuticals and Good Distribution Practices (GDP). The government ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Counterfeiting of Medical Products and Similar Crimes Involving Threats to Public Health and introduced criminal liability for falsifying pharmaceuticals for the first time in the post-Soviet space. Bno-Ayriyan's efforts led to simplifying access to painkillers for terminally ill patients, and he also contributed to the approval of the State Targeted Social Program for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis until 2016.
In January 2015, Bno-Ayriyan joined the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry as Head of the European Integration Department. He coordinated international cooperation, European integration, and obligations under the Energy Community. He became the de facto key media figure after the minister, and during his tenure, he initiated a strategic group to address investor concerns and expedite decision-making. He also led the working group that drafted the Law of Ukraine on the Electric Energy Market, which was adopted on April 13, 2017.
In October 2015, he assumed the position of Head of the Department of Strategic Planning and European Integration. He was responsible for international organizations, strategic planning, coordination of Energy Community obligations, international cooperation, and European integration. Additionally, he actively participated in developing an alternative unbundling model for Naftogaz of Ukraine, advocating for retaining the gas transportation segment under the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry and transferring generation capacities of Energoatom and Ukrhydroenerho to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.
In May 2016, he publicly resigned from his position, citing the limitations in decision-making authority following the appointment of Ihor Nasalyk as Minister of Energy and Coal Industry.
Zhytomyr Oblast Governor Competition
After leaving the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry, Bno-Ayriyan participated in a competition for the position of Chairman of Zhytomyr Oblast State Administration. He finished third behind acting Governor Andrii Hundyh and Anatolii Shpita, Head of the Main Administration of the State Food and Consumer Service in Zhytomyr Oblast.
Ukrenergo
In October 2016, Bno-Ayriyan joined JSC NEC Ukrenergo as Director of Communications and International Cooperation. His responsibilities included internal and external communications, media relations, and public outreach. From April 2018, his duties expanded to include HR, corporate social responsibility, and strategic planning.
Ukrenergo Rebranding
Bno-Ayriyan initiated the development of a new brand identity, vision, and philosophy for the company. Under his leadership, a new corporate website and internal portal were created. Additionally, the company established its own public information policy, a first in the state sector.
During his tenure, Ukrenergo's social media presence grew significantly, making it a leader in the state energy sector. In 2018, its corporate Facebook page was ranked second in the "Best Corporate Media in Ukraine" competition, and its inaugural corporate magazine, "50 Hz," was awarded the best corporate publication of the year by the Association of Corporate Media of Ukraine.
Integration with ENTSO-E
Bno-Ayriyan played a pivotal role in Ukrenergo's integration with the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E). He participated in the 2017 signing of the "Agreement on the Conditions for Future Unification of Ukrainian and Moldovan Energy Systems with the Continental European Energy System ENTSO-E."
The company actively implemented a plan for accession, and integration into ENTSO-E became a priority in Ukraine's Energy Strategy until 2035. In December 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a plan for synchronizing Ukraine's United Energy System with the combined energy systems of EU member states, which became known as "energy visa-free."
Bno-Ayriyan and ENTSO-E Secretary General Laurent Schmitt signed an agreement in early 2019 for Ukrenergo to participate in ENTSO-E's Cooperation Beyond Membership programme for 2019-2021, which included exercises and training for employees.
Relationships were established with several ENTSO-E transmission system operators, such as RTE (France) and 50Hertz (Germany), with whom joint projects were implemented.
New Ukrenergo Strategy
In 2017, a new strategy was developed for Ukrenergo, outlining over 10 areas of growth, strategic objectives, and the path to achieving them. The strategy was updated in 2019 with input from Ukrenergo's Supervisory Board and international donors.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Bno-Ayriyan initiated the Ukrenergo Laboratories educational project, an incubator for ideas from scientists and youth to develop projects that meet the strategic development needs of the energy sector. In 2017, the project hosted "Energy Nights" in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Lviv, where over 1200 students, graduates, postgraduates, young scientists, and inventors attended lectures and presentations by leading business representatives and top managers from across the country.
"Green Coal Paradox"
Bno-Ayriyan coined the term "green coal paradox," which described the situation in Ukrainian electricity generation during 2019-2020. The rapid increase in renewable energy production due to a shortage of maneuvering capacities led to a decrease in nuclear energy production and an increase in coal-fired generation. The term was first used publicly by Ukrenergo CEO Vsevolod Kovalchuk on March 16, 2018, and it was widely adopted by Ukrainian media, experts, and industry companies.
Chairman of Kyiv Oblast State Administration
On July 10, 2019, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Bno-Ayriyan as Chairman of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration. Experts linked this appointment to Bno-Ayriyan's friendship with Dmytro Razumkov. The introduction was marred by a public scandal when Zelenskyy ejected Boryspil City Council Secretary Yaroslav Hodunok from the hall, calling him a "robber."
Governance and Transparency
As Chairman of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration, Bno-Ayriyan reinstated the practice of personal citizen receptions twice a month. He also introduced a system of district visits on Fridays, during which he met with local residents.
On October 11, he established the Regional Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which included representatives from all Christian denominations (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant), Muslims, Jews, and Mormons. Additionally, he created a youth council under the State Administration and engaged active young people in various projects across the region.
Combating Corruption
Bno-Ayriyan implemented Prozorro, a public procurement system, for all purchases exceeding UAH 50,000. He required regional officials to disclose all so-called "subthreshold" contracts for goods, services, and works from October 1, 2019. He also ordered the sale of all unprocessed timber at auctions from November 1, 2019.
He initiated an official investigation into the activities of the Department of Regional Development, responsible for capital construction, and discovered the destruction and absence of documents for completed works worth over UAH 2500000000. He blocked the adoption of a new master plan by the Vyshche
