Roman Dupai works with Ukrainian manufacturers who want to sell into the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States. He is usually the first person from EU Mandate & Co. that a manufacturer speaks to, and that conversation is held in Ukrainian.
He came to the firm from export management. At a Ukrainian window and door manufacturer he led direct market development for the United States, running outbound prospecting and a competitive study that benchmarked leading American and European manufacturers on dealer networks, pricing, warranty terms and positioning. In parallel he represented the Association of Exporters and Importers “ZED”, finding and qualifying Ukrainian suppliers for foreign buyers. His deepest sector knowledge is in building materials, particularly windows, doors and PVC and aluminium systems, and in food production.
“Most Ukrainian manufacturers make an excellent product, but lose deals at the stage of how they look from the outside: certification, warranties, pricing, how they talk about themselves.”
That is the gap Roman works on. In a first conversation he looks at a manufacturer the way a foreign buyer will: whether the certification is in place, whether the warranty and pricing will stand comparison, and whether the company presents itself credibly abroad. Where there is a real opportunity, he introduces the manufacturer to Elliot Rodgers, and remains their Ukrainian-language point of contact throughout the engagement.
Advice, structuring and negotiation with Western counterparties are led by Elliot, in English. Roman’s part is to make sure a manufacturer arrives at those conversations prepared.
Roman holds the degree of Candidate of Economic Sciences, the Ukrainian equivalent of a PhD, awarded in 2015 for research on foreign investment in the structural modernisation of Ukraine’s economy. He completed ORPE’s Export Upgrade programme in 2026 and is an active member of the Export-Import Ukraine Club.
Manufacturers can contact Roman directly, in Ukrainian.