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| PHÎÒÎ: A. Gudzenko |
Bio
Bohdan Kulchytskiy
Was born September 15, 1963 in
Pennsylvania, U.S.
In 1986 he graduated from BSME Rutgers with a diploma in engineering
1986 – 1993 – worked for the Raytheon Corporation (engineering, introduction of automation systems)
Since 1992 – present – President of Winner Motors Ukraine (official importer of Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche in Ukraine).
Spouse – Lisa Kulchytska. Raising their three children – Lukash, Hryts and Victoria
Hobby: cars, traveling and advanced technologies
KW: Do you consider yourself a Ukrainian? If so, is obtaining Ukrainian citizenship on the agenda?
B.K.: My father brought me up as a Ukrainian. In the U.S. our family was an American family of Ukrainian descent. My father always made a point of reminding me that our family was forced to leave the homeland due to the occupation. My U.S. passport is the best possible permission to travel around the world without any problems or complications. Why should I ask someone to give me permission to travel to any country? Any country in the world should be proud to receive me as a guest.
If I had an opportunity to travel freely with a Ukrainian passport, I would willingly apply for Ukrainian citizenship. In this case, the main thing is that I have the right to choose my country of residence. If I decide to live in the U.S., that means I choose not to live in Ukraine. But I live, work and raise my children here and I believe this is the best testimony to my being a Ukrainian.
KW: They say you belong to that category of people that make their careers along the lines of “the American dream”. Where did you work before heading up Winner Motors Ukraine?
B.K.: I started working in a pizzeria, then at McDonald’s, then as an assistant in a shoe boutique and then a gas station attendant. Since childhood I worked everywhere I could find a job, a decent pay and a reliable team of co-workers. After I graduated from university and just before I came to Ukraine, I worked as an engineer at the large multinational corporation Raytheon.
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| PHÎÒÎ: A. Gudzenko |
KW: 1992 was a year of crucial changes for you. You worked in the civilized U.S. market and not even in the automotive industry. Then you suddenly packed your bags, moved to Ukraine and started up an independent business in a country in which the automobile market was only in its nascent stages of formation. What did you face more often, problems or the satisfaction of resolving them?
B.K.: If I were to say it was tough, that would be an understatement. I could not even make a direct phone call to the U.S. I had to dial some number and order a call… that entire process was arranged through Moscow. My communication with the founders of our company was primitive if not primeval.
Speaking of staff, the situation was even more complicated. I knew nobody in Ukraine, never mind anyone working in the automotive industry. I had to find employees with the help of my new acquaintances. I could only dream about meeting skilled experts. It was really difficult to find people that were willing to work and be trained from the very beginning.
KW: Ukraine in the 1990s was hardly a country with the best conditions for running a transparent business. Did you run into illegal activities on the part of government institutions? And can it be said that Ukraine is now operating by civilized rules?
B.K.: The fringe is very thin here. One should understand what the notion of civilized rules means. Is it normal when the authorities require individuals or companies to pay taxes they are not obligated to pay or is this some kind of gangsterism? We paid US $180 million in taxes in one year, but the taxman demands even more. They don’t literally stick a gun under your ribs, but they demand that you pay more due to the lack of funding from the national budget… I think such an approach could be called uncivilized at the very least.
KW: Your position in the company is open and transparent. What is the secret of legal business in our country?
B.K.: I have no precise recipe. From my own experience, I can say, first of all, that we support human and friendly relations with the representatives of governing institutions. We know many people, but I make no decisions under anyone’s protection. I hate people asking “who is your patron?” Secondly, this job is tough and it requires daily work and full attention. Is it easy? No! But it is possible, even in Ukraine.
KW: Is your American passport of any assistance in Ukraine?
B.K.: Frankly speaking, over the 18 years I’ve lived in Ukraine no one ever asked me to show it. However, in some cases my citizenship rescued me – some people did not want a foreigner to be involved in a scandal, let alone a representative of a large multinational company.
KW: Please tell us something about your Ukrainian roots. Who were your parents, where did they live and what did they do for a living?
B.K.: My father was born in the village of Kulchytsi in Western Ukraine. My mom is from Lviv. My grandfather was a professor at the Lviv University and my grandmother sang at the Lviv opera. My roots are 100% Western Ukrainian, both from Lviv and surrounding villages. My mom preserved all of my grandfather’s works. He was also a writer and a playbill bearing my granny’s surname. On my father’s side, our family’s coat of arms was preserved after my father took it with him from Kulchytsi during emigration. When I returned to Ukraine, I visited the village and found our relatives and even the house in which my grandmother was born.
KW: You have three children. What nationality did they choose?
B.K.: They hold American passports. They were all born in the U.S. It is hard to say what their nationality is. They have learned Ukrainian since birth, but attended an international school where everyone spoke English. For example, when Victoria started going to school at the age of 6 she did not know English – she spoke Ukrainian and French.
KW: You drastically changed your life one time. Do you expect any radical changes in your professional life in the future?
B.K.: I would be interested in giving a shot at politics, though I have not seriously considered where and when I would do so. The fact is I don’t want to become a politician in Ukraine to defend my business interests. It is equally difficult to start up a career as a public figure in the U.S., from where I have not lived for the last 18 years. For me this is a new challenge and dilemma at the moment.
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