The task of a manager is to think about the future. Not only of their business but also of the world around them. This is the philosophy followed by Andriy Isak, chairman of the board of the company Granotrayd, a graduate of Agri MBA kmbs, and a patron of the Georgiy Gongadze Prize. We talked with him about business based on the win-win model, changes in society and consciousness, and about charity.

What business are you in now?

Andriy Isak: All my businesses are related to the agro-sphere and finance. The first and main of my companies is engaged in financing farmers for the future harvest. Practically all Ukrainian farmers feel a lack of money. We saw this niche and in 2010 offered forward purchases. In the spring, we lend money to farmers so they can sow and grow more quality products. And in the fall, they supply us with finished products for the amount of the advance, and we export it. This model is win-win, it works on trust.

Did you invent this model or did it already exist in the world?

A.I.: It existed, but in a slightly different form. In Ukraine, it was in the form of a state program of pledge purchases, which was not ideal at all. We developed our own program that managed to "take off".

There are many investors in the world looking for where to invest money. Ukrainian farmers lack money. On the other hand, there is a shortage of products in the world. Our mission was to add value to all parties. Convince investors that investing in our company is safe, and farmers that fulfilling their obligations is the key to future investments.

We focus on grains: wheat and corn, because these crops are export-oriented. They allow us, by attracting investments in dollars, to get a product that will bring dollars in the future.

Has your role in business changed after studying at kmbs?

A.I.: The role has not changed: I was an owner and remain one. But I was able to better understand my business, focus on many important processes that are in my ecosystem. And, ultimately, the businesses I launched after or during my studies started more easily than my first company.

And what are these businesses?

A.I.: Another of my businesses is growing organic medicinal plants, which we turn into semi-finished products and export to Europe, where they become the basis of various extracts. This is a model aimed at making people who consume our product feel better. I myself lead a healthy lifestyle: we sort waste at home, eat organic products, do not consume sugar, and exercise.

In general, I describe all my companies as those that help society. For example, when a farmer has enough finances, he grows more products, more products guarantee him more earnings, and this means higher salaries, greater purchasing power. All this stimulates the development of certain territories. After all, farmers have a very large social burden: they support schools, kindergartens, subsidize road construction...

Is helping part of your life philosophy?

A.I.: Yes, it is my philosophy, which I have transferred to business. For example, when you grow organic products, it means that you do not apply any pesticides or herbicides to the soil. You treat the land carefully, which gives birth to the product for you, which you then sell, and people consume it and become healthier. Ultimately, they become better internally. And a quality person inside cannot do bad deeds. They change mentally. Even if some external irritant knocks them off the path, a conscious person quickly balances themselves.

But isn't it much easier to produce products using herbicides? Or is the main thing the margin, which is higher for organic products?

A.I.: Using herbicides is easier, but it's a short game. And we play the long game. The world now wants to eat quality products. And Ukraine should take this chance. We have a lot of land where quality products can be grown. What needs to be done for this? Abandon pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. This way we will show the world that Ukraine is transforming and wants to supply not GMOs, not products after which you need to treat your stomach.

Organic products have a higher margin, but also more risks in cultivation. After all, if the seeds are not treated, they are more vulnerable to natural factors.

Is the product made from your raw materials sold in Ukraine?

A.I.: Yes, imported from Poland. We sell semi-finished products to Europe, and then Europe sells us the finished product. However, soon we will have our own product. This is my third business, we are now creating a brand and will soon sell organic berries and vegetable sets in Ukraine.

What prompted you to enroll in business school? And why kmbs?

A.I.: I was looking for a school that would not just teach me some specific tools, financial or accounting, but that would work on the level of meanings. I like the phrase "Seeing the invisible" and the idea that we need to see certain connections in everything that surrounds us, see everything as a whole, – it caught me. I also liked that the school works a lot with the business owner as a creator, a creator of the system.

I enrolled in the AgriFood MBA program, but it was the first, "pilot" intake, so many things were taught to us as in the Presidents' MBA. I really liked it, and I believe that any owner should go through this school.

What does the concept of "patron" mean to you?

A.I.: It seems to me a close synonym to the word "philanthropist" – when you are ready to support an idea that is close to your spirit, which you share. If we talk about the Gongadze Prize, it interested me because it has a systemic component. kmbs graduates took on the mission to help shift the focus in journalism, to influence journalists who will then influence the consciousness of Ukrainians. This is about change, about the ability to influence a large part of the population.

I like projects that involve change. For example, I was born in a Transcarpathian village, where children, after entering school, already dream of going abroad. Now we work a lot with children in this village because we want them to change qualitatively. We conduct creative workshops, lectures, meetings with famous people. The goal of this project is to help children see the perspective on the land where they were born. To dream not about earnings abroad, but about how they can realize themselves at home. We try to show them that there is a resource around that can be used to become successful. Abroad you are nobody, a workforce, but here you are Ukrainians, this is your land.

And what do you get when you help others?

A.I.: I enjoy giving, sharing, helping. It's nice to be involved in cool ideas, cool projects.

I believe that you must be ready to share: if God gives you the opportunity to be successful, you are obliged to give a part to others. It's not always about finances, you can spend part of your time communicating with children and inspiring them, showing them a different life experience. I find it interesting to observe American or European society: there people willingly donate money to charity, public or religious initiatives.

It seems to me that the happier a person is, the easier it is for them to share this happiness with others. And the more they share, the happier they are. And this is probably not about wealth, because there are many rich people who cannot even give a dollar, but about the feeling of wealth. As my father-in-law says, "A happy person is not the one who has a lot, but the one who can manage with what they have."

Where do you think the efforts of the kmbs alumni community should be directed?

A.I.: Graduates do a lot of great things in their companies, they are carriers of such a culture, those values that are needed to change society.

It seems to me that our society lacks victories. Even on holidays, we often talk about sacrifices. We sympathize with people who died in battles, but we do not show the mistakes of commanders. And behind the sacrifices, there are often big mistakes.

We have almost no success stories. And here kmbs graduates (and in general those who share the school's philosophy) could show society the taste of victory, faith in the future. And, of course, they should create successful businesses.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

A.I.: I am a visionary, I love dealing with business and with things that are definitely about the future. When we created the forward purchase project, everyone told us: "Guys, where are you going? You will have total losses because the farmer will deceive you." However, no farmer deceived us – because we built a win-win model where everyone gets their value.

In school, I was very driven by classes that talked about the future. For example, once Valeriy Pekar said: imagine yourself in 20 years, what will you be doing? I then said: I will be flying in space. Why not? We do not know how the world will change. I am a patriot of Ukraine and would very much like to be involved in the success of our country in the future.

Projects related to the production of organic products are also about the future. And now we, together with like-minded people, have founded a closed club of visionaries UA2050. Its idea is to understand what Ukraine will be like in 2050. Here it is about the economy, and about new technologies, and about health, and about culture – there are many factors that need to be seen to understand what Ukraine will be like in 30 years.

I have been nurturing the idea of such a club for a very long time. I have an internal need to discuss certain ideas: Ukrainian initiatives from different directions, the land market, healthcare, global changes... These are controversial issues that do not have unambiguous answers, and the truth is somewhere in the middle. And finding this truth requires discussions. And not with those who pursue some political interests, but with people like you.

Source: Open platform for kmbs alumni

Andriy Isak: "The happier a person is, the easier it is for them to share with others"