Brief and important
The nominations committee unanimously approved four international independent members of the supervisory board of NAEC "Energoatom". This decision is not a symbolic gesture but a step toward restoring external oversight, raising nuclear safety standards, and increasing procurement transparency.
Who joined the board
Rumina Velshi (Rumina Velshi) — an international expert in nuclear safety and regulatory oversight with more than 40 years of experience; former head of Canada's nuclear regulator and of the IAEA Safety Standards Commission.
Laura Garbenciute-Bakiene (Laura Garbenciute-Bakiene) — a specialist in finance, audit and risk management in the energy sector; over 25 years at PwC and on projects auditing strategic energy facilities, including the Ignalina NPP.
Patrick Fragman (Patrick Fragman) — an engineer and manager with more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear and energy sectors; former president and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company.
Brice Bohuon (Brice Bohuon) — a lawyer in energy regulation and corporate governance; worked at EDF International and EDF Energy and has experience in French state regulatory institutions.
Procedure and international support
The selection was unanimous. The nominations committee included government representatives and independent observers — the European Union, the EBRD, the IFC and the Business Ombudsman. The board's formation is expected to be completed after the additional appointment of three state representatives in the first half of January.
"At the same time, we continue the renewal of supervisory boards across the entire energy sector — at Naftogaz, Ukrhydroenergo, Ukrenergo, the Gas Transmission System Operator, Centrenergo and other companies. In total — 12 companies are in focus"
— Yuliia Svyrydenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine
Context: why this matters
After the exposures at Energoatom, the state decided to restart corporate governance in state energy companies. The presence of experts from the IAEA, Westinghouse and EDF is a signal to international partners: Ukraine is raising safety and accountability standards. This matters not only technically, but also for access to financing, reactor repairs and infrastructure modernization.
In addition, state audits of Energoatom and defence-sector enterprises are ongoing; their results will be handed over to law enforcement — a practical mechanism to hold those responsible for corrupt abuses to account and, at the same time, a means of restoring taxpayers' trust.
What’s next
The decision to include international experts is a beginning, not the final step. Next actions include appointing the state members of the board, implementing the independent members' recommendations, and applying the audit results to the governance system. For the state, this is an opportunity to establish standards that will make the energy sector more resilient and less vulnerable to corruption risks.
Conclusion: an updated supervisory board with strong international experts increases the chances of transparent management of Energoatom, ensures nuclear safety and restores partners' trust — and therefore improves the prospects for more stable financing of Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
