Energoatom picks Tkachuk as CEO and Pavlyshyn as first CNO in post-scandal governance overhaul
Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom has selected Yuriy Tkachuk, currently head of gas producer Ukrgazvydobuvannya, as its new Chief Executive Officer, and former Rivne NPP chief Pavlo Pavlyshyn as the company's first-ever Chief Nuclear Officer. The appointments split the former single general-director role into two under a new corporate governance model introduced by a supervisory board appointed in January 2026 after the 'Midas' corruption scandal.
Key points
- Energoatom's supervisory board chose Yuriy Tkachuk as CEO and Pavlo Pavlyshyn as Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO).
- The decision splits the previous combined general-director role into two separate positions as part of a new governance model.
- The CEO search drew 78 candidates from Ukraine and abroad; the field was narrowed to five, then two finalists heard by the board.
- Selection was supported by international consulting firm Korn Ferry; CEO and CNO competitions ran from June to September 2026.
- Tkachuk currently heads Ukrgazvydobuvannya; Pavlyshyn led Rivne NPP from 2012 to 2022 and has over 30 years in nuclear energy.
- Pavlyshyn must obtain an individual nuclear licence; his previous licence was revoked in 2022.
- A five-year contract is planned for the CEO; of seven board seats, two are filled and four more director selections are underway.
Why it matters
Energoatom operates all of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, making its leadership a matter of national energy supply and nuclear safety. Splitting the CEO and CNO roles separates day-to-day management from independent authority over nuclear and radiation safety, a structural change that mirrors how leading nuclear operators are run abroad. The appointments are also the first major leadership decision by a supervisory board installed in January 2026 after the November 2025 'Midas' corruption investigation implicated senior officials in schemes worth nearly $100 million.
What happened
The supervisory board of NAEK Energoatom selected Yuriy Tkachuk as the winner of the CEO competition and Pavlo Pavlyshyn as winner of the Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO) competition. The two roles replace the previous single general-director position under a new corporate governance model. The CEO search considered 78 candidates from Ukraine and other countries, narrowing first to nine, then five, and finally two finalists who were heard by the board. The CNO competition had fewer candidates because the position requires a special licence and specific training. Korn Ferry, an international consulting firm, supported the candidate search, including independent verification of professional reputation and integrity. Pavlyshyn was unanimously supported for the CNO role, but will need to obtain a new individual nuclear licence after his previous one was revoked in 2022. Formal appointment of both leaders is subject to completion of legislative, regulatory and corporate procedures. A five-year contract is planned for the CEO so he can complete the company's transformation. Of seven management board seats, only two (CEO and CNO) have been filled; competitions for the financial, legal, HR and commercial directors are ongoing and expected to finish by the end of October, with the incoming CEO involved in the process. As of the evening of 20 September, Energoatom had not yet published an official release about the appointment on its website.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets frame the appointments as the centrepiece of a post-scandal 'reset' of Energoatom's governance. Coverage emphasises the role of the new supervisory board appointed in January 2026, the involvement of international consulting firm Korn Ferry, and the planned five-year CEO contract designed to see the company's transformation through. Several outlets note Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky's earlier pressure on the supervisory board to install new leadership quickly, and point out that Energoatom itself had not published an official release on its website by the evening of 20 September.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the length of the CEO selection process: some describe it as lasting about two months, while others describe the combined CEO and CNO process as lasting approximately six months from June to September 2026. There is also variation in how the shortlist is described: most outlets list five shortlisted candidates, while one source reports nine candidates proceeding to comprehensive assessment before being narrowed to five.
Background
The leadership overhaul follows the November 2025 'Midas'/'Mindichgate' investigation by NABU and SAP, which documented alleged schemes worth nearly $100 million. Suspects included co-owner of Kvartal 95 Timur Mindich, Justice Minister and former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, his former advisor Ihor Myroniuk, and former Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov. A new Energoatom supervisory board, appointed in January 2026 with four independent members with international experience and three government representatives, was given the task of restructuring the company's leadership. In early July 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers completed the formation of the supervisory boards of Energoatom and the Gas TSO of Ukraine, and in late July updated Energoatom's charter to reset the company's management. Yuriy Tkachuk has headed Ukrgazvydobuvannya, Ukraine's largest gas producer, since December 2025, and previously worked at Ukrnafta from 2022, including as acting head. Pavlo Pavlyshyn led the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant from 2012 to 2022 and served as acting president of Energoatom for about four months in 2019–2020.