Yuriy Kosiuk
Yuriy Kosiuk | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 27, 1968 Katerynopil, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | CEO of MHP, Ukrainian agricultural corporation |
Yuriy Anatoliyovych Kosiuk (; born 27 May 1968) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and billionaire, currently serving as the CEO of the agricultural corporation MHP.
Early life
Kosiuk was born in Katerynopil, located in the Cherkasy oblast. He completed high school with distinction and was the winner of the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiad in Chemistry. In 1985, he enrolled at the Kyiv Technological Institute of Food Industry, graduating in 1992 from the Kyiv Food Industry Institute with a specialization in engineering for meat and dairy production processes. While still a student in 1989, he also completed training as a broker.
Career
Kosiuk’s professional journey began in 1991 as a broker at the Kyiv Commodity Exchange. The following year, he co-established JV "LKB," which concentrated on importing metal, grain, and gas. His initial investment of $100,000 went into a meat processing facility in Cherkasy oblast; however, this venture failed quickly and was sold at a loss, marking his first business challenge. By 1995, he had advanced to become President of CJSC Scientific-Technical Business Centre for Food Industry. In 1998, he founded and took leadership of CJSC Myronivsky Hliboproduct. The company introduced the "Nasha Ryaba" brand to the market in 2002.
In July 2014, Kosiuk stepped down as Chairman of MHP’s Board to assume the position of first Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, where he was responsible for procurement, technology, and logistics related to security services under President Petro Poroshenko. Although dismissed from this post in December 2014, he was promptly appointed as a Presidential Adviser. Afterward, he returned to his role as Chairman of MHP’s Board.
Achievements
Myronivsky Hliboproduct became the first Ukrainian agri-industrial enterprise to be listed on the London stock exchange in 2008. Despite the global financial crisis that year, the company expanded its production capacity by 30%, maintaining similar growth levels in 2009. In 2010, Yuriy Kosyuk sold approximately 10% of his shares but continued to hold about 65%, while 35% remained publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. By 2011, the firm’s market capitalization had reached nearly $2 billion.
Ratings
According to Forbes Ukraine, Yuriy Kosyuk regularly appears among the nation’s top ten wealthiest individuals and ranked within the top five during 2015–2016. As of March 2016, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$1.12 billion. Meanwhile, in April 2016, Focus valued his fortune at $769 million.
State awards
On 20 August 2008, Kosyuk received the prestigious title of Hero of Ukraine in recognition of his outstanding impact on Ukraine’s agricultural development and for pioneering modern technologies in agricultural production and processing.
Family
He is married to Olena Kosyuk, who holds the position of Director for Technology, Quality, and Food Safety at MHP. They have one son, Ivan (born in 2000), who pursued studies at Columbia University (New York, USA) and is currently developing his own IT enterprise.