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A CTO is not just a technical expert but also a leader who builds connections, finds partners, and inspires the team. Each meetup is a great opportunity to network with other tech specialists, exchange ideas, receive feedback, and discover new career opportunities.
Online and offline meetups series
How to Become
Great CTO
©2025
Ukraine
How to Become Great CTO is a series of meetups for tech professionals seeking career growth. It is an opportunity to communicate directly with top CTOs in an in-person format. The meetings are held online and offline, creating a space for open dialogue and sharing experiences.
Upcoming events
Technical Leadership in Defence
Explore how tech leaders overcome challenges in defence tech Before 2022, there were about 20 companies in Ukraine in this sector. Today, this number has grown to over 1,500, collectively developing 3,300 innovations. Ukraine now has a real opportunity to become a global leader in defence startups.
Artem Romaniukov
Head of the Directorate of Digital Transformation @ the Ministry of Defence
Pavlo Kosolapkin
CTO & Со-Founder @ Frontline Robotics
Oleksiy Oliynyk
CTO & Со-Founder @ Himera Tech
Volodymyr Sveredyuk
CTO @ DEV Challenge
From Idea to MVP
Launching the first version of a product always involves trade-offs between speed, quality, and resources. CTOs with real experience in launching tech products will share what it takes to make a great MVP.
Kyrylo Melnychuk
CTO & Co-Founder @ Uspacy
Yana Mykhailenko
Director of Engineering @ Turnitin
Conference | How to Become Great CTO
In the last days of May, DEV Challenge, in collaboration with UNIT.City, will bring together Ukraine’s tech leaders, entrepreneurs, company and startup founders, CTOs and managers to discuss the most pressing and essential topics in technology, business, and leadership.
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meetups
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experts
100+
200+
400+
700+
700+
participants
Why is it worth attending?
The "How to Become Great CTO" meetup series is designed for technical specialists aiming to take their careers to the next level.
The meetups bring together experienced leaders who will share real-life stories, solutions, and approaches to tackling challenges. It’s a great opportunity to gain valuable insights and explore new career prospects.
Networking and new opportunities
Real experience of a top-level CTO
Transitioning to a CTO role is not just a job change — it’s a step up to a new level of responsibility. At the meetup, you’ll learn about the key skills required, how the role of a technical leader evolves, and the challenges you’ll need to overcome. Speakers will share their personal career growth experiences, discuss common mistakes, and provide insights on avoiding them.
Skills for career growth
Being a CTO is not only about technology, but also about strategy, business processes, and people management. You'll learn how to build effective teams, make complex technical decisions, balance technology with business expectations, and what tools can help automate and improve processes in your company.
Organisers
DEV Challenge
DEV Challenge is the largest IT championship in Europe. Over the previous 21 seasons, more than 29,000 specialists participated in it.
The competition aims to develop Ukraine's IT market by enhancing the quality of technological products and improving specialists' skills.
UNIT.City
UNIT.City is Ukraine’s first innovation park — a place where unique infrastructure and a comprehensive ecosystem enable high-tech, innovative, and creative businesses to thrive.
UNIT.City has become the home of the "How to Become Great CTO" meetup series and will continue to be the place where this story unfolds.
Media partners
Every ticket purchased is a contribution to supporting the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade "Black Forrest"
"Black Forest" is a unique and one of the most technologically advanced units in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, specialising in artillery reconnaissance.
The brigade focuses on detecting and eliminating high-value enemy targets, including Grad multiple rocket launch systems and Buk surface-to-air missile systems.
The unit actively recruits motivated professionals eager to bring Ukraine closer to victory with their knowledge, skills, and expertise.“Black Forest” Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Speakers of previous meetups
Volodymyr Sveredyuk
CTO @ DEV Challenge
Artem Melnychenko
CTO @ Wantent
Volodymyr Tsap
CTO @ SHALB
Oleksandr Berezianskyi
R&D Director @ Ajax Systems
Bogdan Gusiev
CTO @ Unstoppable Domains
Dmytro Lavrinenko
VP of Engineering @ Uklon
Jonathon Wright
CTO @ Eggplant AI
Nikita Voloshyn
ex-CTO at YouTeam, CTO @ Growth Channel
Alexander Solovyov
ex-CTO @ Kasta.ua
Oleksandr Krakovetskyi
CEO @ DevRain, CTO @ DonorUA
Oleksandr Kovalchuk
CTO @ Cargofy
Andrii Popovych
ex-CTO at TENTENS Tech @ SKELAR
Oleksii Bilous
Co-founder & CTO @ Woolf
Marek Miltner
Research @ Stanford & CTU
Stepan Suvorov
CTO @ Studytube
Martin Urban
CTO for Web Technologies @ Purple Technology
Vira Tkachenko
CTO @ MacPaw
Vadim Ilchenko
Lead Software Engineer & CTO @ Mate academy
Marcel Polker
Co-Founder and CTO @ ex-Taledo, Co-Founder & MD @ HRCast
Tomasz Onyszko
CTO @ ex-PredicaHost @ CTO Morning Coffee
Serg Hospodarets
Executive VP of Global Engineering @ Finalsite
Misha Sobko
Managing Partner @ SwyTapp
Ivan Pecherskyy
Head of Software Engineering @ TemaBit
Yevgen Lysenko
Co-Founder & CTO @ Concert.ua
Volodymyr Petrov
Director of Engineering @ People.ai
Bob Lee
Technology Executive, Business Owner & President @ CMIT Solutions
Andreas Nauerz
Co-CEO & CTO @ Bosch.io
Andriy Fisunenko
Vice President in R&D @ Samsung R&D Institute Ukraine
Igor Tsvietkov
Technical Lead @ Itera
Kyrylo Veligotskyi
Head of Technology Consulting Department @ Itera
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