Maryna Zakanavska was born and raised in the Sumy region. After high school, she studied economics at Romny College. She was already pregnant when she graduated, and after the birth of her son, her education took a back seat for a while: first came childbirth and maternity leave, then work and daily responsibilities.
She decided to return to her studies as an adult. She is currently continuing her education in Sumy, majoring in Business Economics. She is in her second year and has three more years to go.
“At one point, I thought: why not now? I hope I’ll have enough strength and inspiration to see this through to the end,” she says.
She returned to work almost immediately after her maternity leave. She began her career at the Romny Dairy Plant and then worked at Ukrposhta for six years.
A job opening at UKRNAFTA became available in 2018. Maryna had been familiar with the Company’s truck fleet since childhood – it was located just a few houses away from her home. Therefore, she applied, submitted her CV, and passed an interview.
In January 2019, she started working at UKRNAFTA as a dispatcher. She later became a senior transportation coordination specialist, and in 2023, she moved to the logistics department: first as a liquefied gas logistics specialist, then as a light petroleum products logistics specialist. And in May 2026, she became the logistics manager for light petroleum products.
“It’s interesting to work at UKRNAFTA as you’re constantly developing and never standing still. And logistics also means constant challenges. That’s exactly why I like this job,” she says.
Today, she coordinates fuel deliveries across the UKRNAFTA network. Together with a colleague, they are responsible for supplying 88 gas stations, dividing them equally: each manages 44 stations. Maryna communicates with carriers, finds available transport, and ensures that the required volumes of fuel reach the gas stations on time.
It’s especially important to react quickly when market conditions change and demand for fuel spikes. Sales can increase significantly, so logistics professionals need to promptly identify additional supply options and prevent disruptions in the network’s operations.
During her time in logistics, Maryna also witnessed the introduction of a new ERP system and participated in its testing. Previously, some information had to be manually collected from several documents, transferred to a single spreadsheet, and used to create separate purchase orders. Now, many processes are automated.
Logistics takes up a significant portion of her time, but outside of work, she tries to make time for her family, books, and travel. Her son is already 19 years old, and together they love exploring new cities in Ukraine. She especially enjoys short trips: hopping on a bus or train, spending a full day in a new place, and returning home. She often chooses organised day trips.
Our colleague says she started traveling more after she began working at UKRNAFTA. Before that, she rarely could afford to travel, but now she tries to use her vacation time and weekends to see as many interesting places in Ukraine as possible.
Maryna lives in a private home, so in her free time she has plenty to do in her garden and vegetable patch: she grows berries, vegetables, and fruit. She also loves to read. Since she spends a lot of time at the computer during the workday, she often listens to audiobooks while commuting – she puts on her headphones on the train or bus and gives her eyes a rest.
Maryna joined the UKRNAFTA book club. She hasn’t yet been able to join the online discussions due to her work schedule, but she actively uses the club’s library and listens to audiobooks. Among the most memorable works she’s listened to recently are *Leave If You Love Me* and its sequel, *Stay If You Love Me*.
