Hanna was born in Kharkiv – a beautiful city in northeast Ukraine – a city full of students, science institutions and vibrant sports and cultural life.

In 2013, she graduated from Kharkiv National University of Economics with a master’s degree with honors in applied statistics. Hanna believes that her major in statistics and solid basis in economic sciences set the tone for the early years of her career. From her university days to now, she has always been driven to understand and improve business processes and analyze information to help businesses make the right choices.

An excellent example of making a tough, but right choice, was her decision to move to Canada after spending 24 years in Ukraine. Ukraine – Hanna’s homeland – is always in her heart, and now she has Canada – her new home that opened many doors for her professional and personal development.

For the past 6 years, Hanna has been part of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project team. She started her journey with this nation building project as invoice/requisition analyst.  Within a year, she switched to a systems support analyst role that later evolved into management of change coordinator/project controls analyst. Hanna currently works in the project controls department as project coordinator, with a focus on change management and indigenous project controls.  She believes that persistence, a continuous desire to drive efficiency improvements through new approaches, and the ability to effectively collaborate with stakeholders contributed greatly to her professional accomplishments. Recently, she developed and implemented a new contract change management system and project decision authority process that promotes streamlined and informed decision making.

Hanna believes that project controls is the best spot for people with analytical minds who are passionate about efficiency and improvements. Great visibility of the wide span of activities opens space for creative problem solving.

Hanna is endlessly grateful for all the great people she has been lucky to meet and work with during her professional journey. Currently, there are a few people in her team who inspire her with their unique views and strong set of values that guide them in decision making. Even if you don’t have a formal mentor, she believes that everyone and everything teaches, but not everyone learns. She believes that if we are ready to listen and observe, many things come naturally.

When Hanna joined AACE in 2020 and then became a director with AACE Calgary Chinook Section in 2021, she pleasantly found herself surrounded by fellow professionals, people who care deeply about the quality of project controls and the cost control realm. The topics being discussed during technical dinner meetings, and lunch and learn sessions, help to tackle everyday business challenges.

AACE provides access to an endless number of publications where project controls professionals can find guidance on industry standards.  AACE meetings give members a great opportunity to connect with colleagues across different companies, cities, and countries. In her opinion, sharing experiences and ideas is one of the greatest benefits of being an AACE member. 

If Hanna was to share advice and observations with her colleagues, she would emphasize the importance of always staying aware of the bigger picture. She believes that ensuring our actions are adding value is vital to our professional improvement and contribute to the overall success of the company or organization that we are a part of.