Zhanna Kondratieva is a co-owner and CEO of SKY ENERGY, a financial expert with over 10 years of experience, and an active member of the Business Woman Club. She implements turnkey green energy projects, combining economic efficiency, environmental friendliness, and energy autonomy. In this interview, Zhanna talks about current challenges for Ukrainian business, the specifics of developing renewable energy during the war, the role of the team and personal principles in building a successful business, and how women can overcome stereotypes and realize their potential in technology and finance sectors.
How do you see the development of green energy in Ukraine, especially during the war? What innovative solutions are the most relevant today for businesses and households?
The state of Ukrainian energy today, unfortunately, remains difficult. I would like to see our energy system more protected and modernized in a timely manner, but in fact, we are still working with an infrastructure that, in terms of innovation, largely corresponds to the approaches of the mid-20th century.
That is why today’s realities are not only a challenge but also a real opportunity for the development of renewable energy. I would even say an urgent need, and here is why: Economic efficiency. It is significantly cheaper than traditional energy. Environmental friendliness. We get energy that does not harm the environment. In the context of global warming and climate change, this is the most important factor today.
In the conditions of war, solar energy is almost the only rational step towards independence and autonomy for us. Even 15 years ago, it was hard to imagine that an agricultural enterprise could fully provide itself with electricity for nine months a year. Today, this is already a reality.
If we talk about the most practical solutions, it is a comprehensive approach, which is exactly what we do at SKY ENERGY. For enterprises, this is an integrated system: a solar power plant + an energy storage system (SPP + ESS). It is also worth noting the payback period: on average, in 5 years, a company fully returns its investment due to savings on utility bills and begins to accumulate additional capital.
What personally inspires you in your work in green energy and finance? How do you manage to maintain a balance between professional life and personal development?
Over the past ten years, I have often asked myself this question. In my case, it is not a stable balance, but a constant “balancing act” between family, work, and time alone with myself. I have learned to feel my own fatigue and my inner state deeply. If necessary, I ask my husband to let me go on a trip for a few days—I love traveling alone. My last trip was to Cyprus; this is exactly how I recover, getting an opportunity to stop for a moment and look around.
I re-evaluated my values a long time ago, and now family comes first. They inspire me the most. My son and husband are always on the move, they have inexhaustible energy, they always need to go somewhere, run, create something.
In second place is our common business and the SKY ENERGY team. Working with people, I still never cease to be amazed. I am very grateful to my colleagues: they teach me just as much as I teach them. The team is my additional energy and a great responsibility that keeps me from giving up under any circumstances.
What challenges, in your opinion, do women most often face in the technological and financial sectors, and what helps to overcome them?
To be honest, the hardest thing for me was not to remain underestimated in a male-dominated environment. Unfortunately, successful and strong women often face the prejudice that their expertise is less significant or valuable simply because of their gender. The biggest challenge was to learn not to listen to critics and “pseudo-experts,” but to believe in myself and my experience. Today, when my opinion in the field of finance is authoritative for clients who have been working with me for years, I feel true confidence.
Another challenge of today is recruitment. This issue is acute for every entrepreneur. Because of the big war, we experienced a shortage of specialists, and in 2026, this lack of qualified and motivated professionals became critical. Now I understand more and more that I have to use all my knowledge of psychology to find, select, and retain people, because in Ukraine today, this is one of the most difficult aspects of running a business.
Read also: National Day of the Republic of Slovenia Celebrated with a Diplomatic Reception in Kyiv
Photo: from the heroine’s archieve