What we’re witnessing in Eastern Europe at the moment is terrifying and painful. As of today, huge swathes of land in the south, north and east of Ukraine have been invaded. Many believe it’s only a matter of days before Russian troops attempt to occupy the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Our guest today reached out to our editorial team a few days ago and we felt it was imperative to get him on the podcast to share his story with you as soon as possible. Vladimir Gendelman is founder and CEO of Company Folders and an immigrant to the US from Kharkiv, Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Crisis: Helping Employees Cope with Atrocities of War
Vladimir employs a team of seven software programmers, graphic designers, and quality assurance engineers in Ukraine. Last week three of them were trapped in Kharkiv, where they were sheltering in windowless rooms in buildings that are shaking from relentless heavy shelling. Fortunately, they were able to escape to the west of the country. Millions more have not been as lucky.
Vladimir’s team was previously based in Donetsk, the epicenter of the uprising in 2014, so, sadly, this is not the first time they’ve dealt with destabilization caused by foreign aggression.
Listen to this discussion Bill Banham had with Vladimir to hear his experiences of leading and supporting a team literally under siege. Hear too, Vladimir’s heartfelt plea to the West to do more to help.