The IIM has within its membership, a number of technology based interims and one of these, Shaun Taylor, has been instrumental in setting up an international response to support Ukrainian technology professionals find work outside of the country. They are seeking to provide links to both interim and permanent placements. Their press release is quoted below and any members working with tech organisations who have opportunities to help, please contact via info@techlinkukraine.org or find Shaun in the IIM’s member only WhatsApp group.
“Technology jobs link for Ukrainians created by business and technology leadership groups.
Business and technology leadership communities, technology service providers, a Non-Executive Directors community, recruitment and marketing agencies have come together to launch Tech Link Ukraine, an online resource to connect displaced Ukrainian technologists with organisations in Europe, particularly Ireland and the UK, that need technologist team members.
Tech Link Ukraine was created as business technology leaders were appalled by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 22, 2022, and the suffering inflicted on Ukrainian society. “Our mission is to support technologists displaced by the war in Ukraine by providing the opportunity to work and support their families and loved ones.”
The founding organisations behind Tech Link Ukraine aim to provide employment to displaced Ukrainian technologists, connecting their networks and opportunities to ensure Ukrainian technologists are able to work and support one another.
Organisations involved include CCO and talent acquisition leader Neil Dunwoody in Ireland, the Horizon CIO Network, UK IT Leaders, Virtualnonexecs.com, workforce software provider ProFinda, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP immigration lawyer Pat Saini, and agile business-to-business marketing agency Bright. Chief Information Officer (CIO) members represent organisations such as medical research funding body Wellcome, Times Higher Education, agricultural genomics research firm Synomics, and leading interim CIOs and change management experts Dave Jones, Shaun Taylor and Adrian Wakefield. Neil Dunwoody says: “We are able to promote and drive practical support. The recruitment piece is the easy piece as the jobs are there.” He added that a number of Irish, UK and international organisations have pledged their support.
The invasion of Ukraine and displacement of its citizens has been especially moving for the technology community. There has been a close and growing relationship between Ukraine and the technology industry. Ukraine’s technology sector revenue has been growing over 25% year-on-year. Prior to the invasion, Ukraine was home to 200,000 developers, with 20,000 technology graduates leaving Ukrainian universities a year. Technology has become one of Ukraine’s top three exports in a very short time, and had contributed 8% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“The next wave of innovation will come from Eastern Europe, from Ukraine in particular,” wrote Dominique Piotet, CEO at UNIT.City, an innovation park in Kyiv, in 2021.
Tech Link Ukraine has three channels of help. The first is the ability for Ukrainian technologists looking for work to register themselves. The recruitment network supporting Tech Link Ukraine will contact them and begin the process of finding work.
For business and technology leaders looking for technology talent, the second channel is an opportunity to register that you are able to support and recruit Ukrainian technologists.
A third channel enables organisations to donate technology or resources to support the 3.3 million refugees (at time of writing) (Source: United Nations: https://data.humdata.org/visualization/ukrainehumanitarianoperations/?ga1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw29CRBhCUARIsAOboZbI7Q11ZOGY7B6Oeud-kg4Q2R4HUi9SwiuFqK_bPw1VltMKukC0UDIaAmAhEALw_wcB) with the ability to remain connected.
A number of charities have been contacted, and discussions on how to get connectivity to the refugees they are supporting is beginning to take place.
To help your peers in Ukraine, contact info@techlinkukraine.org or visit Tech Link Ukraine (https://techlinkukraine.org/).”
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