HR for Business’26 in Lviv: How Manufacturing Companies Can Grow in Times of Crisis
On May 1, Lviv will host the 13th HR for Business conference — one of the largest professional events in Western Ukraine, bringing together HR professionals, CEOs, and business owners. In 2026, the event expands geographically for the first time, taking place in Lviv and becoming closer to the manufacturing business community, particularly the furniture industry of our region.
Today, furniture companies operate in an environment where instability has become a constant condition. Changing markets, declining domestic demand, competition for qualified professionals, and at the same time the need to scale and enter export markets are shaping a new business reality. In these conditions, the key advantage is no longer only the product or production capacity, but the ability of a company to effectively work with people, build management processes, and quickly adapt to change.
That is why for furniture manufacturers, issues of team management, talent retention, and internal organizational development are becoming strategic priorities.
The 2026 conference theme — “Growth within Crisis” — reflects the current state of the business environment, where there is no pause for recovery or waiting for better conditions. It is about the ability of companies to find growth points directly within turbulence, make decisions under uncertainty, and build resilient organizations that not only withstand crisis but use it as a driver of development.
This includes how to support teams when resources are limited, how to restructure processes without losing quality, and how to grow a business in an environment with minimal predictability.
The HR for Business’26 program is built around topics that directly reflect the reality of modern business. Discussions will focus on how crisis reveals the true state of teams and leadership, how to balance strength and vulnerability in management, how recruitment is changing under the influence of artificial intelligence, and what role middle management plays in modern companies.
Key speakers and topics include:
— Olha Prokhorenko — “Strength and Vulnerability: Finding Balance in a Complex World”
— Oksana Shakhova — “Changes Brought by AI: Downsizing or Real Scaling?”
— Oksana Smilka — “Crisis as the Ultimate Interview: What It Reveals in People, Leaders, and Systems”
— Olena Nikolska — “Accounting for Different War Experiences in the Workplace”
— Olena Zhyltcova — “Middle Management: Bottleneck or Management Lever”
— Andrii Stakhov — “The End of Traditional Recruitment: How Crisis and AI Have Rewritten Hiring Rules”
— Anastasiia Rozlutska — “Having ‘Your People’ Nearby: From Trend Topic to Conscious Choice”
— Daria Nazarenko — “The Architecture of Resilience: What Makes Organizations Strong”
— Nataliia Mukhitdinova — “Crisis? It’s Not That Simple”
The conference is designed for business owners, company executives, operations directors, HR professionals, and managers at all levels who work with teams and are responsible for business development. For the furniture industry, it is an opportunity to gain tools that help not only organize production effectively but also build strong, well-structured, and resilient teams.
Today’s competition in the furniture industry goes beyond the product itself and shifts into the field of management, teams, and business systems. That is why participation in professional events of this level becomes an important part of development for companies that aim not only to adapt to change but to use it as an opportunity for growth.
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