KIEV — MSL has opened its first office in Ukraine, strengthening the Publicis Groupe agency’s Central and Eastern European network.

The Ukraine operation, which will focus on supporting clients through MSL’s Power of One approach and its global Fluency influencer engagement tool, will be led by Olena Sukhanova (pictured) as managing director.

Sukhanova joined MSL in March, after more than nine years leading Ukrainian marketing agency Tabasco. She has worked with brands including Kimberly Clark, PepsiCo, Ferrero, Toyota, Lexus, BNP Paribas Bank and Vodafone.

MSL’s network in Central and Eastern Europe has been growing rapidly over the past few years and has more than 200 employees across its offices in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, as well as Ukraine. Its activities are coordinated by the Warsaw hub, overseen by regional CEO and Publicis Groupe Poland board member Sebastian Stępak — who succeeded former regional CEO Sebastian Hejnowski earlier this year. 

Stępak said: “Ukraine is one of the fastest-growing markets within CEE for MSL. Opening our own office in Kyiv has given the network an outstanding opportunity and numerous advantages for our existing and potential clients. I firmly believe we have an extensive range of products that will enrich communication services and support local leadership in becoming the top agency in the Ukrainian Public Relations market. I strongly believe that Olena and her team represent the desirable mix of professionalism, creativity and effectiveness.”

The new MSL team will work closely with Publicis Groupe Ukraine as part of its integrated offer. Publicis Groupe Ukraine’s business director of creative services Elena Bakum-Ramola said the agency already collaborated with sister company Saatchi & Saatchi Ukraine’s PR team to provide strategic counsel to clients.

“Our local knowledge combined with MSL’s global expertise and strategic tools, make us particularly skilled to help our clients build sustainable connections with consumers in these challenging times,” she said.