Hello from Ivanna! 

How did you start your career?

I was always close to numbers. I finished my Bachelors in Tax, Masters in Finance and got PhD in Economics and Management. I have been working as a lecturer at the Irpin state College of Economics and Law since 2006. From 2017 I started working in science at the Research Institute of Fiscal Policy at the University of the State Tax Service of Ukraine - there I became the head of the Tax and Audit department and worked on projects related to tax disputes, audit.

Tell me about your path to PwC?

I used to meet PwC people all the time whilst working in academia and in research through university, conferences and so on. I used to always feel the friendly atmosphere from PwC employees and always had a thought of someday joining the company myself.

After leaving the research institute, I tried working as an accountant. Although the people were awesome, the work was very repetitive and I wanted something more dynamic. Then, I finally tried working in audit in yet another company - the job was very interesting but I still wanted to go bigger. In the summer of 2021, my psychologist friend gave me a test, which revealed that my dream job is auditor at PwC. That is when I decided - why not try it?

Was it everything you hoped for?

After joining PwC Uktaine in autumn of 2021, I was very happy. The first few months were really interesting - I loved the atmosphere, the helpful people - it was a really big difference when compared to some of the other places I have worked. I like new projects from different spheres - that is why audit is never boring and there are plenty of enjoyable challenge along the way.

Tell me more about your relocation to PwC Lithuania

I relocated because of the war with my son and cat. Most people from Kyiv fled to Poland, because they wanted to stay as close to home as possible but be safe. Eventually, we decided to go to Vilnius due to knowing some amazing people from scouting. Me and my son are both passionate scouts and we have visited Lithuania in the past due to scouting activities. Our friends from Jonava came to pick us up from the Ukrainian-Polish border to Vilnius.

Colleagues from the Lithuanian office helped us to settle in Vilnius. They not only provided us with accommodation for almost 4 months, but also met us late in the evening, took care of food and household items (including our cat). They warmed us with care and support: asked if we had any preferences for food, when buying products; provided us with links for useful and/or interesting resources; even on the first weekend, they worried that we were bored, and made a wonderful little tour of the city.

I only planned to stay for a couple of months and I still wotked for PwC Ukraine at the time, although I used the PwC Lithuania office. Altough I was not a part of the Lithuanian team officially, they always invited me to events and celebrations - it was very nice to feel welcomed. I finally decided to shift to PwC Lithuania in September of 2022, when the Kyiv office of PwC was damaged during a massice missle attack on Ukraine. So, since November 2022, I have been working at PwC Lithuania.

What do you like about Vilnius?

For me, Vilnius and Lithuania are a place where people with extremely big hearts live. I am impressed by the amount of warmth, care, humanity, sincere participation and support Lithuanians have given me. 

Vilnius captured my heart with hot air baloons - I want to try it, not just see it. I like Lithuanian cuisine (cepelinai, vedarai etc.). I am amazed by the Baltic sea. Maybe I am a bit Baltic. :)