Maryna Maksymenko, Director of Garant Export LLC in Zhytomyr region, has grown as a leader together with the company—she’s been working there since its launch.

Taking over as director was a double challenge for her as a woman leader, coinciding with a crisis period caused by the war and the challenges of operating under martial law. Our conversation with Ms. Maryna focused on this difficult time and how the company managed to navigate through it.

After the war began, the company didn’t stay idle for long: its workshops resumed work as early as March. The leadership faced a new set of challenges—not only fulfilling obligations to clients, but also supporting the army (a patriotic impulse shared by much of Ukrainian business), and providing financial support to employees and their families. Just as importantly, returning to work helped people regain a sense of normalcy and escape the constant stress from news on the frontline.

– We couldn’t bring back all employees to their previously interrupted furniture production duties—mostly due to the absence of many men in the team. That was the first major challenge. Experienced professionals were missing, and finding immediate replacements was nearly impossible. That’s when we began offering the positions to women instead.

Women quickly mastered CNC machines and helped stabilize what was initially a threatening situation.

To ease the physical demands of production, the company invested in auxiliary equipment—especially important for employees with physical disabilities, who also work at the company.

Naturally, many employees needed retraining as they were reassigned to new production areas, while newcomers often had to be trained from scratch—since the market for qualified workers had dried up. As for management-level staff, our managers—including top executives—improve their skills externally by attending courses, seminars, and workshops, many of which are organized by UAFM through its Furniture Business School. This has become a cultural standard for any business leader. Personally, I’m currently studying at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.

Staff shortages also pushed us to pay closer attention to how labor is organized at every stage and in every workplace.

– Was it difficult for you personally to step into the director’s role?

– In terms of communication with the team—no issues at all. I’ve been with the company a long time, so I know the people well, and they know me. The real question for me was strategic: should a director focus more on being a team leader or on management? In the end, I chose leadership.

– The company name “Garant Export” clearly reflects its focus on exports. Was this affected by the war?

– Not at all. Our foreign partners were very understanding of Ukraine’s situation—both its economy and our company specifically. Not a single client cut ties with us, and we were able to quickly restore and stabilize export shipments. Many even offered genuine help, like hosting our employees and helping them settle abroad.

– Weren’t they concerned about price increases, which became common across the furniture industry due to higher material costs?

– No, because we managed to keep price increases minimal—even with production running during wartime.

– On social media, you’ve been actively promoting a new kitchen model called “Sense.” What’s special about it?

– We wanted to break away from traditional kitchen layouts. “Sense” is compact and features a pull-out table. It’s designed for families who rent small apartments and move frequently—something common abroad, especially among young families. The kitchen’s small size doesn’t compromise its functionality—that’s its biggest advantage. We also have a “capsule kitchen” model that’s even more compact. It can be assembled at home by anyone, without special skills.

– And finally, what are your company’s goals for this year?

– Simply put: to bring our goals to life—not just adapt to change, but to achieve tangible results.