Maksym Bakhmatov, one of the most efficient and successful Ukrainian managers was only 22 when he first applied to MIM and was rejected. He did not meet the 3-year experience requirement at that time. He was back in a year and has become the youngest MBA student in Ukraine.

Currently, Maksym is a personification of success. He is known as a popular stand-up comedian, and entertainer, media producer, blogger, fundraiser, CEO of VDNG who brought the dying expo complex back to life, or a manager of the large scale projects implemented as a managing partner of the UNIT.City innovation park.

This September Vitaly Klitschko, Kyiv Mayor appointed Maksym his advisor and crisis manager. As Maksym was 30 minutes late because of the traffic he started by discussing his plans to improve the traffic situation. Then the hot topic of Shulyavsky bridge renovation was brought up. No surprise he spoke how MIM reversed his life.

Maksym loves Kyiv and wants to make life in the city comfortable. He ranked the comfort in Kyiv as his #1 priority in the Mayor’s office.

Studying in MIM-Kyiv changed Maksym’s life and shaped him as a manager. “I do not remember a thing from my classes. Besides, the ways of doing business have changed in Ukraine dramatically. But it was back in 2002 when I was taking an MBA program when I understood that I want to run my business rather than be a hired hand,” Maksym says.

For 16 years since his graduation, Maksym’s projects have been successful. He said that all his team members were usually doubling or tripling their market value after working for him. He said he was also ready to pay double or triple for the right person.

“I follow the simple rule: I delegate to only those who I trust. Therefore, I hire only those who I know can make things done,” Maksym explained.

“I sort out my plans according to their priorities and follow the Pareto principle: 20% of actions solve 80% of problems. So, I start with the most important. I follow this rule in my private life as well. As you see, I do not need any scheduling apps,” Maksym told us. “Mastering management is a life-long undertaking. My most important lesson is never working with jerks. When you have someone unfair, resented and aggressive nothing could make up for that.”