President of the Kyiv School of Economics. Former Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine.
Born on March 18, 1975, in Kyiv.
Education
In 1992, Tymofiy Mylovanov graduated from Kyiv Physics and Mathematics School No. 145. He then enrolled at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, majoring in “management,” and graduated in 1997. In 1999, Mylovanov earned a master’s degree in economics from EERC-Ukraine (an educational and research program in economics based at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy).
After that, Tymofiy moved to the United States, where he continued his education. From 1999 to 2004, he studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a Master of Science (M.S.) in Economics in the winter of 2001 and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Economics in the summer of 2004.
Career
Mylovanov began his professional career in academia. In the spring of 2004, he became a research fellow and lecturer at the University of Bonn (Germany), where he worked for four years, until the summer of 2008. However, in 2008, Milovanov returned to the United States, where he continued his teaching career, first at Pennsylvania State University (from fall 2008 to spring 2011), and then at the University of Pennsylvania (2010–2013) and the University of Pittsburgh (since 2013).
In 2014, following the change of government in Ukraine, Tymofiy Mylovanov returned to the country and, together with partners, launched the Vox Ukraine project—an analytical platform whose primary stated goal is “activities aimed at fostering economic discourse and providing high-quality analysis of economic and other critical processes in Ukraine.”
Shortly thereafter, in the spring of 2015, Milovanov was appointed deputy editor of the academic journal Review of Economic Design. That same year, Tymofiy became a member of the international academic council of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).
In 2014 and 2015, Forbes Ukraine included Tymofiy Mylovanov in its ranking of the “best Ukrainian economists.”
And in 2016, Mylovanov became a member of the NBU Council appointed by parliament. In October of that year, he was elected deputy chairman of the NBU Council. Also in 2016, Milovanov became honorary president of the KSE.
Following Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s victory in the 2019 presidential election, Mylovanov began actively working with the new administration. It was Milovanov who, in the summer of 2019, organized the “Ze!Deputy” school in Truskavets for newly elected deputies from the “Servant of the People” party.
That same year, on August 29, Mylovanov agreed to head the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture in Oleksiy Honcharuk’s government. However, Tymofiy served as minister for less than a year; on March 4, 2020, Honcharuk’s government resigned, and Tymofiy Milovanov left the Ministry of Economy.
In the next government, Mylovanov was considered as a candidate for the post of Minister of Agrarian Policy, but he declined.
However, Mylovanov has not ceased cooperating with the government, and in November 2020, he became a special advisor to Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. In this capacity, Mylovanov not only actively participates in the Office’s work but also travels with the President’s team on official trips and participates in the Head of State’s official visits. For example, Mylovanov was a member of the Ukrainian delegation during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the UAE.
On April 14, 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Tymofiy Mylovanov as acting director general of the State Enterprise “National Investment Fund of Ukraine,” and the very next month, on May 21, Tymofiy was appointed a member of the Supervisory Board of the State Corporation “Ukroboronprom.” That same year, a meeting of the newly formed Supervisory Board of Ukroboronprom took place, during which Tymofiy Mylovanov was unanimously elected chairman of the board.
Mylovanov was also appointed a member of the Supervisory Board of Energoatom.
In the summer of 2021, Mylovanov chaired the commission conducting the competition for the head of the Economic Security Bureau (ESB). At the time, the Anti-Corruption Center stated that the competition was conducted in a non-transparent manner.
On November 11, 2025, following the release of the investigation into Operation Midas (the so-called “Midich case,” linked to corruption in the energy sector), Mylovanov announced his resignation as a member of the Supervisory Board of Energoatom, stating that the company was not responding adequately to corruption challenges. Three days later, on November 14, 2025, yilovanov also stepped down from his position on the Supervisory Board of Ukroboronprom.
Scandals
1. The “Servants” School in Truskavets. Commenting on the organization of a “school” in Truskavets for the Servant of the People party, Mylovanov noted that this was one of his best clients.
“I’ve never had a client like ‘Servant of the People’: they’re willing to pay, they want the best people, and they promote the great idea that we need to learn. They won me over with that,” Mylovanov said in an interview with the Censor.net portal.
At the same time, Mylovanov added that he did not vote for Zelenskyy in the 2019 presidential election, but cast his vote for Petro Poroshenko.
2. "Idiot" from Kolomoyskyi. In October 2019, the show "Evening Quarter" aired a skit in which comedian Yevgeny Koshovy, together with the Veriovka National Choir, parodied the story of the arson attack on the home of former NBU head Valeria Gontareva to the tune of the Ukrainian folk song "The Pine Tree Burned, It Blazed". At the time, Mylovanov, while serving as minister, condemned the comedians and stated that such humor would be perceived by foreign investors as confirmation of ties between oligarchs and the government.
To which oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi responded by stating that Mylovanov should resign from his post and calling him a “moron.”
"You simply can’t find another word for this other than ‘moron.’ It’s very sad that Ukraine’s economy minister is a moron," Ihor Kolomoyskyi said at the time.
Mylovanov initially agreed with the businessman’s assessment, but later admitted that after this incident, the label “moron” had stuck to him.
“The label has stuck firmly, and it offends me… This nickname—excuse me—‘moron,’ which Kolomoyskyi pinned on me, and I didn’t know how to respond to him with jokes or even challenge him to a duel; I simply lacked political experience,” Milovanov later told reporters.
3. “I don’t read books and don’t recommend others do either.” While serving as minister, Mylovanov publicly stated that he doesn’t read books and doesn’t advise others to do so.
"Pursuing education by reading books is self-deception. Nobody learns that way today. Everyone reads books. At least, it’s assumed that everyone does. It’s trendy. It’s useful. It’s for education and personal growth. People write about it on social media. They organize flash mobs. They talk about great people who read 300 books a year. I find reading books boring. This text is for those who don’t read books. I am one of you. I am a research fellow. I am constantly learning. I create new scientific articles and educational courses. I’m growing a business. In my view, education is the most important goal for every person. But I don’t read books, and I don’t recommend it to others,” Mylovanov stated.
4. The Tymoshenko Trial. In April 2020, Yulia Tymoshenko filed a lawsuit against Tymofiy Mylovanov, seeking protection of her honor and professional reputation. The lawsuit was prompted by remarks made by the then-Minister of Economy on the “Ukraine” TV channel, where he claimed that in 2009, the drug “Tamiflu” was allegedly purchased at an inflated price through intermediaries, even though there were other suppliers on the market willing to sell it at lower prices. The court decided to deny the claim for protection of honor and dignity and for the retraction of false information.
Family
Father – Serhiy Mykolayovych Milovanov, born on October 1, 1947.
Father’s wife – Nonna Serhiivna Milovanova, born on August 9, 1940.
Mother – died of a blood clot.
Sister – Zoya Serhiivna Milovanova, born on July 13, 1978. She is one of the founders of VoxUkraine. Zoya Milovanova is also a practicing attorney.
Sister – Marianna Borisivna Varshavska, born on March 15, 1968. A psychologist by training, she worked as an IT project manager at a web studio and as a development consultant. She is the founder of the “Kraplynka” club, which taught sailing to children of displaced persons from the ATO zone and from orphanages at the Mezhigorye Yacht Club.
First wife – In 2004, Milovanov married a U.S. citizen, whom he divorced in 2008. Tymofiy himself told journalists that he met his ex-wife at a nightclub in Germany.
Second wife – Natalia Shapoval. On December 4, 2021, Tymofiy Milovanov married for the second time. Currently, the politician’s wife is a member of the editorial board at VoxUkraine. She also serves as vice president for economic and political research and head of the KSE Institute at the Kyiv School of Economics, which is led by Milovanov.
Tymofiy Mylovanov with his wife Natalia