Olena Pidlutska — “The Best Expert 2025 in Sales and Team Management” according to the Ukrainian Business Award
As the head of the regional sales team of Hitech LTD, she transformed the Vinnytsia region into a coherent system with 1200+ retail outlets — and why her approach became a benchmark for the market, according to the Ukrainian Business Award.
In a competition where numbers, discipline and speed of decisions matter, Olena Pidlutska demonstrated the type of leadership that drives sales forward. According to the results of the evaluation by the expert jury of the Ukrainian Business Award, Pidlutska was recognized as a specialist who systematically strengthens commercial results and a culture of performance in the region. For more than eight years at Hitech LTD, she has been shaping the regional direction: from recruiting and developing a field team to negotiating with national chains and government agencies. The result is stable implementation of plans during periods of market turbulence and a significant increase in presence in the region’s retail chains.
Field sales are a daily marathon, and Pidlutska set the pace here. Structured onboarding, mentoring, clear KPIs, and transparent motivational schemes increased the productivity of the team of sales representatives, supervisors, and merchandisers. The system of planning and weekly reviews gave the team a common “language of action” — from priorities in the field to shelf display standards.
The launch of the Biscotti TM deserves special attention. From finding a manufacturer and first contact to full integration into key points in the region: Pidlutska built an entry strategy, merchandising scenarios, and promotional mechanics. After a few weeks, the brand reached over UAH 1 million in weekly turnover and became one of the drivers of the portfolio.
To keep up with 1200+ retail outlets, you need processes, not slogans. She reformatted routes based on the potential of locations and frequency of visits, unified the standards of layout and quality control, and launched regular sales analytics. This resulted in quick adjustments to tactics in the fields and a minimum of “empty” visits.
An important part of the work is long, “boring” negotiations that bring a very specific effect. Contracts with national chains, local wholesalers, and government institutions (schools, kindergartens, hospitals) ensured stable volumes and better predictability. Conflict situations with customers were resolved quickly — with service as a priority.
Sales are not just about turnover. Precise management of the assortment, prices and promotions allowed us to increase the portfolio’s margin without “eating” profit. At the same time, the position of the brands “Yarych”, “Soyuz Kondyter”, “Zhytomyrskie Lasoschi”, “Podilska Krasunya”, “Biola”, “Prestige” strengthened.
The combination of strategic thinking with meticulous operational skills is a rare combination. Pidlutska works equally confidently with the brand entry strategy and with micro-tasks at the route or shelf level. It is this “two-speed” that gives the result: the market share grows, processes become predictable, and the team is manageable.
