Together, Ivanna and AK host the Maneuvering Monday podcast, where experts and thought leaders share insights, experiences, and concrete maneuvers to tackle the challenges inspired by the book’s main characters and dilemmas.
As a leader of teams specializing in organizational development and transformation, I have often been frustrated by the oversimplified advice in business literature, and therefore set out to write a story that feels real; where leaders don’t have all the answers, mistakes happen, and the best intentions still meet resistance. While launching this project, I have been on a personal journey as well, having my first child when the podcast was born and expecting my second as the book is released. The project has been both a creative outlet and a way to shape a story that my daughters might one day read and be inspired by. I believe work takes up too much of our lives to be miserable, and Maneuvering Monday is for anyone trying to make work better, one imperfect step at a time.
Born in 1987 in eastern Ukraine, I grew up amidst the instability of the post-Soviet collapse, which taught me the importance of adapting and seeking better ways to do things. This led me to a career in behavioral economics and life sciences. Now, as the VP of Digitalization for a biotech, I focus on leveraging technology to enhance the work of our scientists and medical teams, ensuring they can make an impact on patient outcomes. Through initiatives like my podcast, "Transformations in Trials," I aim to make life sciences more accessible and foster collaboration to drive meaningful change. Art can speak truth when every other voice is silenced, which is why I have written and directed a short film, “The Other Side”, about the impact of war in families with both Ukrainian and Russian roots. The storytelling techniques in this book are born out of my passion for improvisational theatre and comedy.
