KYIV – The Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF), a $150 million regional private equity fund focused on Ukraine and Moldova, announced on January 15 that Jaroslawa Z. Johnson, long-term, distinguished board member, has been appointed its president and chief executive officer effective January 1.
This position was formally held by Natalie A. Jaresko, who became minister of finance in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on December 2, 2014. Ms. Johnson will direct, oversee and provide overall management for the WNISEF program activities and will remain a member of the fund’s board of directors in addition to her role as president and CEO.
Ms. Johnson was born in Ukraine and emigrated to the U.S. as a child. She is a graduate of Goucher College and University of Wisconsin Law School, where she was editor of the law review and earned a J.D. in 1977. She was appointed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton to the WNISEF board of directors in 1994, serving as an active member of the board since its inception.
Ms. Johnson launched and has managed two international law firms in Kyiv over the course of 20 years. Her extensive international corporate practice included counseling many Fortune 500 companies, multinationals and Ukrainian corporations on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financing transactions, project finance and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance in the U.S. and Central and Eastern Europe. For many years Ms. Johnson has consistently been recognized by international legal directories as a leading lawyer in corporate, banking and finance and energy sectors in Ukraine.
“On behalf of all members of the board of directors, we are delighted that Jaroslawa Z. Johnson has agreed to serve as the fund’s president and CEO during this important stage of its development. Jaroslawa’s proven leadership skills, solid professional experience, in-depth knowledge of and commitment to WNISEF, Ukraine and Moldova, make her the ideal candidate for this position. We look forward to working with Jaroslawa in her new capacity and to this exciting, new chapter for the Fund,” said Dennis A. Johnson, chairman of WNISEF board of directors.
Ms. Johnson will be based at the fund’s offices in Chicago, traveling between the United States, Ukraine and Moldova in performing her duties.
The Western NIS Enterprise Fund was established by the U.S. Congress and funded by the U.S. government via the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Since its inception, WNISEF’s cumulative investments total over $168 million to 118 companies in Ukraine and Moldova. WNISEF’s portfolio of investments in Ukraine and Moldova is managed by Horizon Capital.