ICU GROUP TO HOLD UKRAINIAN FINANCIAL FORUM 2018 IN ODESSA

ICU, an independent asset management, private equity and investment advisory firm specialising in Central and Eastern Europe, is pleased to announce the fifth annual Ukrainian Financial Forum will take place from 20–21 September in the port city of Odesa, Ukraine.

Organised by ICU, the annual forum is one of the foremost financial events in Ukraine.

"Our 2018 program moves the debate on from last year’s event, with the agenda focusing on the global macroeconomic trends that are shaping the future of Ukraine's economy and investment industry. The forum will bring together influential leaders from Ukraine’s political, financial and business worlds alongside international decision makers and thought leaders for two days of entertaining and lively debate on Ukraine’s position on the global economic stage.", said Konstantin Stetsenko, Managing Partner of ICU.

Representatives from the world’s most influential financial markets, including China, the United States and Great Britain, will provide a benchmark for global economic performance. And the leading figures in the Ukrainian government and the country’s largest public and private businesses will put forward the outlook Ukraine.

"Ukraine is an emerging free market that has made remarkable progress in a short period of time, however it still has a long way to go.  Reform should determine the country’s future and it is vital that the government forges ahead and accelerates the reform process. This will be a powerful signal to the investors waiting on the sidelines nervous about deregulation and legal protection.", said Makar Paseniuk, Managing Partner of ICU.

The key speakers at #UkrFinForum18 will be four world renowned economists: Narayana Kocherlakota, Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester (USA), former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Dr. Keyu Jin, Associate Professor of Economics, the London School of Economics, Member of the Advisory Committee of the China Banking Regulatory Commission; Dr. Jerome Booth, co-founder of Ashmore Group, one of the largest European investment companies specializing in emerging markets, author of "Emerging Markets in an Upside Down World: Challenging Perceptions in Asset Allocation and Investment"; and Edward Lucas, who served as editor of the British magazine "The Economist" for more than 20 years, an expert in foreign affairs, the author of the best-selling book "The New Cold War".

Over the two-day program, 15 panel discussions will be held covering the following topics:

• Global finances and the world economy: what can Ukraine expect from two superpowers?
• Will politics prevent progress? Reforms in an election year (the policy makers view and the investment view);
• Ukraine’s energy system: reform priorities and political realities;
• Ukraine's alternative energy revolution;
• Government as an active owner;
• Organized commodity trading in Ukraine;
• What can happen in a year? A look ahead for Ukraine’s economy;
• Ukrainian pension reform in the light of European practice;
• Missed opportunities in emerging markets: known risk and better rewards;
• To sell or not to sell: how to move Ukrainian privatisation from a standstill?
• Blockchain: opportunities and threats for crypto currencies in Ukraine;
• Meeting global standards for capital market infrastructure and the tools for developing the domestic market;
• A vibrant opportunity: Ukraine’s venture capital industry;
• Outlook and opportunities in domestic sovereign and corporate bonds;
• The secrets of my success: Ukraine’s top start-ups in their own words.

The forum is organized by ICU in partnership with the Kyiv School of Economics - a world-class educational institution, which is one of the leading educational institutions in Europe.

#UkrFinForum18 program - www.ukrfinforum.com

ENDS

About ICU

ICU is an independent asset management, private equity and investment advisory firm specialising in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe.

Founded in 2006 by senior investment professionals from ING, ICU is Ukraine's leading asset manager. We currently manage over $500m in assets.

Our veteran investment team has experience in private equity, high yield corporate debt, distressed debt, restructurings and other special situations across a number of emerging markets. Investment decisions are supported by robust macroeconomic and sectoral analyses from our in-house team of research economists.

We aim to provide our clients with superior risk-adjusted returns across a number of asset classes. The firm is expanding its reach into key European markets via a combination of organic growth and acquisition and continues to expand the range its investment offerings.