Education
September 2014 – December 2014 – Kiev School of Business Journalism
April 2009 – June 2010 – Kiev School of PR-technologies
2002-2007 – Dnepropetrovsk University of Economics and Law
Department: International Communications
Faculty: Interpreter – PR-specialist
Profile
The background stated on the website of my current working place (http://empirestatecap.com/index.php/about-us/management-team):
Ms. Pestrikhova is an exceptional communications expert specializing in the banking sphere. She spent three years as Head of External and Internal Communications at UnicreditBank (Ukraine). In 2012-2013, she was the International Media Relations Officer at Unicredit Bank (Austria). She has also spent time as Head of PR at financial institutions such as Piraeus Bank and FIM (Kyiv). Her areas of expertise include Internal and External Communications Management, Organizational Merger and Consolidation Management, Crisis Communications, Special Situations Communications, Strategic Partnerships, Social Media Strategy, Investor Relations and Event Planning. Ms. Pestrikova also has experience as a freelance journalist. She is a graduate of the Dnepropetrovsk University of Economics and Law, Kyiv School of PR Technologies and is working on a degree at Kiev School of Business Journalism. Ms. Pestrikhova is a native Russian and Ukrainian speaker and speaks fluent English. She has a good knowledge of German and is visiting French and Italian language courses.
Employment Details
Organization: Empire State Capital Partners investment company (Ukraine, Kiev)
Period: February 2015 – Onwards
Position: Director of Communications
Expertise: organization of international investment conference for 500 participants, anti-crisis PR-strategy development, press conference on intention to invest into Ukrainian banking sector organization, communication strategy of the company development, SM strategy development, press releases writing, press clipping preparation, etc.
Organization: Piraeus Bank (Ukraine, Kiev)
Period: December 2013 – February 2015
Position: Head of External and Internal Communication Department
Organization: UniCredit Bank (Ukraine, Kiev)
Period: March 2013 – December 2013
Position: Head of External Communication Department
Organization: UniCredit Group (Austria, Vienna) – 6 months project
Period: September 2012 – March 2013
Position: International Media Relations Officer
Organization: UniCredit Bank (Ukraine, Kiev)
Period: August 2010 – March 2013
Position: Media relations and Executive Communications Professional
Expertise gained during the period of work in the company (4+ years):
• Project Manager representing the whole Communication Unit (brand, internal and external communication) in the team of merger preparation and support of two banks (PJSC “Ukrsotsbank” and PJSC “UniCredit Bank”);
• Coordinating and directing work of External and Internal Communication Departments teams;
• Working out Communication Strategy;
• Anticrisis PR of organizations;
• Writing, approving and editing all communication messages from the Bank in 3 languages (English, Russian, Ukrainian);
• Developing strategic partnership with key media, experts and organizations;
• Cooperating with CEE communication colleagues and International media relations of the UniCredit and Piraeus Group;
• Aligning all the materials to the UniCredit and Piraeus Group standards;
• Preparing interviews and other communication activities with top-management (preparation process, material gathering, Q&A preparing, supporting of the whole process);
• Working out together with the departments involved Annual Report;
• Organizing and supporting annual General Shareholders’ Meeting;
• Planning and overseeing maintenance of publicly accessible information;
• Developing Social Media Strategy and maintaining communication in this field;
• Developing CSR strategy and supporting social projects;
• Leading day-to-day information and communications operations, improving reporting systems, providing procedural advice, handling operational and administrative queries, preparing budget submissions, monitoring and evaluating results.
• Organizing press conference of UniCredit Group at Euromoney Conference 2013 (interacting with counterparts, contractors… budget keeping, preparing press and brand materials, catering, equipment organizing, interacting with colleagues from CEE Communication departments, etc. );
• Organizing press trip for press officers and journalists from CEE countries to the event (including accommodation, registration, media dinner, interviews, etc.);
• Organizing Media dinner with Austrian journalists and local key speakers;
• Organizing ‘Writing for CEE’ awarding event (a journalist award founded together with APA (Austrian Press Agency) and Bank Austria in order to support journalism in CEE countries);
• Taking part in CEE CEO quarterly meeting;
• Moderating weekly Conference Calls among all CEE countries’ Communication departments;
• Providing daily support to CEE Communication teams, dealing with requests, etc.;
• Providing comments to CEE media;
• Writing Group press releases;
• Organizing press conference on announcement of PJSC “Ukrsotsbank” a national sponsor of Euro 2012;
• Participating in preparation and implementation process of the bank’s rebranding;
• Participating in preparation and conducting UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour in Ukraine (including press conference, UEFA speakers’ accompaniment during the event);
• Organizing press events (panel discussions, press conferences, shootings, etc.);
• Organizing speakers’ participation in on-line conferences;
• Daily media, Internet and news agency monitoring on publications;
• Daily preparation of reports according to publications about the banks, weekly and monthly preparation of PR-activities report;
• Preparing press clipping;
• Preparing quarterly reputation audit;
• Organizing and participating in events aimed at increase of brand awareness, loyalty towards organization and sales support;
• Organizing co-branding projects.
Organization: FIM Group Of Companies
Period: May 2010 – August 2010
Position: PR-manager
Expertise: contacting with mass media, writing articles, handling and composing comments for journalists’ requests, analyzing commercial property market, restructuring company’s website.
Organization: “DeC” education abroad
Period: November 2009 – May 2010
Position: PR-manager – dealing with international universities, organizing international fairs and presentations, dealing with potential students, their parents, etc.
Expertise: Writing press and post releases for company’s website, preparing and holding presentations and international fair, organizing of booklets layout design, convex-boards, advertisements; organizing work with contractors as to ads materials, making agreements as to placing ads materials in sports complexes, HoReCa, business centers, elite houses and universities; budget revision, designing presentation kits, etc.
Organization: “Business Communication” PR-company
Period: September 2008 – November 2009
Position: Head of PR-department
Expertise: articles and publicity writing; selecting materials from international sources for web-sites; promoting companies through Internet: context advertising, SEO-optimization, placing in RuNet catalogs, administrating and analyzing effectiveness of advertising campaigns in Internet (by means of Google-Analytics), taking part in reorganization of web-sites; taking part in creating electronic corporate edition; customer base filing; analyzing the experience of international companies in PR sphere.
Organization: “Cicerone” Kiev school of corporate English language teaching
Period: September 2007-September 2009
Position: Teacher of Business English
Personal Qualities
Sociability, responsibility, independency in decision-making, purposefulness, stability against stress, ability to stand-up for my opinion, at the same time, ability to overcome conflict situations, creative strategy in work, learning capability, initiative, literacy skills.
Additional Training/Skills
International & Intercultural Communication Training, Vienna – Berlitz Education Company
Rhetoric and Oratory Training
Additional activity:
Freelance – writing articles on economic, financial and social topics.
Languages:
English – Fluent;
German – Pre-Intermediate;
French, Italian – Elementary (visiting courses);
Russian/Ukrainian – Native.
Driving license: B-category.
