Living and Working in Times of War - Employees from Ukraine Report

 At Boehringer Ingelheim we are motivated by the desire to not only improve but to transform lives for the better.  As a family-owned company, we strive to improve both human and animal health and we feel responsible for our communities.  Powered by our people, we remain true to our mission, even during challenging times. 

From the start of the war in Ukraine our priority has been to support all those in need, including our impacted colleagues, their families, and communities.  We have more than 100 employees in our local office and from day one of the war and up to today that number has not changed. The Boehringer Ingelheim office in Ukraine works as one well-coordinated team. 

We followed five colleagues in Ukraine who shared their own story on how they are working during these times and how they are addressing challenges they face on a daily basis. The videos give a true insight into what life has been like and their contribution to the local community. 

“The tasks that were set before me as HR specialist have changed dramatically”, says Liudmyla Skydan. “If initially there were things aimed at the development or well-being of our employees, with the beginning of martial law we focused on existential things, to provide basic security”. 

Watch her full story:

Olesia Barabash who is a Technical Manager in the Animal Health Business Unit says that veterinary medicine now focuses on saving animals that have been abandoned by their owners or been hurt.   

“I translated trainings on trauma. We provide these trainings for free to our veterinarians so that they have the latest experience in treating animals in war conditions.”  

She also talks about how veterinarians received them during their first visit after the war broke out.  “It was just human support, hugs, smiles and conversations with each other. We were glad that the company supports Ukrainian veterinarians and continues to work even in war conditions.” 

Watch Olesia’s video: 

Anastasia Pozdniakova who is a Medical Representative, shares that she was very happy when her clients returned to Kiev and the situation was more or less normalised.   

“It is much easier to survive hard times when you are at home, continuing to do your job, in which you are an expert. I feel very happy when I realise that almost all my clients have returned and we can continue our fruitful work.” 

“Returning to the doctors we felt some closeness because such terrible situations unite people. It was very nice to see familiar faces.” 

Watch her complete story:  

Svitlana Khodakovska, working as Medical Representative and as a volunteer, is just another example of people whose focus at work changed a lot during the war. “It was a very difficult period because there was such confusion, when you do not know what to do. And that's how it somehow started and I got involved into volunteering. I do not know a single person who does not volunteer. I think that I may be engaged in volunteering for the rest of my life”, she says. 

Watch Svitlana’s video: 

Tetiana Nagirna who is a Supply Chain Specialist, describes how the war showed that everyone is ready to come together to find solutions and help very quickly.   

“Since the beginning of the war we have been communicating a lot with our colleagues and our clients.  We are constantly in touch, we call, we ask how you are, and we really care about each other.  It is important to feel that you are not alone. We feel alive, we do everything we have to do daily, and I think we succeed.” 

View Tetiana’s story: 

The ongoing war in Ukraine touches all of us at Boehringer Ingelheim very much. Our thoughts are with our colleagues, their families, and all Ukrainians.   

We are always here.  Committed to helping those in need and supporting those who help.