For the first time in its history, a Ukrainian expert has been included in The Top 100 Most Influential PPC Experts ranking—the leading global ranking in digital advertising and marketing, which annually recognizes the most influential experts in the field worldwide.
The expert's name is Ihor Ivitskyi. His name is well known to many graduates and employees of Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute. Kyiv Polytechnic has also written about him. Ihor is a graduate of the Kyiv Polytechnic and spent several years working at the Department of Chemical, Polymer, and Silicate Engineering of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering (now the Faculty of Automation, Industrial Engineering and Ecology). In fact, he graduated from this faculty in 2012, then continued his studies as a PhD student there and, in 2016, defended his PhD thesis and remained at the university as a lecturer. At the same time, he was actively engaged in research and won the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute competition in the Young Teacher-Researcher category for four consecutive years, from 2015 to 2018. But his work was not limited to theoretical research. In fact, the word "simultaneously" aptly describes Ihor Ivitskyi's studies and career. While studying at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, he also earned a second degree from the National Aviation University in Computer Systems and Networks, receiving a Specialist diploma. He was twice awarded a scholarship from the Mayor of Kyiv. In 2016 and 2018, he received a Kyiv Mayor's scholarship for young researchers working at higher education institutions and achieving significant results in addressing important scientific problems. In 2018, he became a laureate of the President of Ukraine's Prize for Young Scientists for the research project "Development of Innovative Computer-Integrated Technological Complexes for Producing Smart Polymer and Silicate Composite Materials." After completing the Microsoft IT Academy program, he obtained an international teaching certificate as a Microsoft Certified Educator. He also became one of the few specialists in Ukraine certified by Google Inc. in information technology and internet marketing. While studying at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, Ihor led the university's Kyiv Polytechnic team in the European BEST Engineering Competition. In 2011, the team won first place at the national stage and, representing Ukraine at the European final in Turkey, ranked among the five best teams in Europe. At the same time, Ihor was actively involved in website development, search promotion, and internet marketing. He became the author of educational courses and the driving force behind an online school specializing in Google advertising. This is only a partial list of the achievements of a young researcher during his years of study in Kyiv and the first years of his professional career—one that began with the education he received at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute.
Let us take a closer look at the final area of activity mentioned in this list: website development and internet marketing. These pursuits ultimately shaped his professional career. Here is how Ihor himself describes this journey: "While studying at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, I created my first online store and launched my first advertising campaign. From that moment on, I realized that the same scientific methods, mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, and systems thinking could create real value. I was fascinated by this challenge. Throughout my academic career, from my student years to becoming an associate professor, I always combined science with entrepreneurship. Alongside my studies and academic work, I first created an online store, then an advertising agency, and later an online advertising school. Marketing and advertising came naturally to me precisely because I approached them from a scientific perspective—that is, I treated them as research problems. This combination of scientific thinking and practical business experience became my ticket into the world of major international advertising and proved extraordinarily valuable in the global market."
When asked whether the knowledge and skills he gained while studying and working at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute have proved useful, he answers: "Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute gave me the comprehensive knowledge and skills that became the foundation for everything I have achieved. I am not referring to specific academic subjects, but above all to a way of thinking. While working on my master's thesis and later my PhD dissertation, I learned how to approach problems whose solutions did not yet exist anywhere in the world, and how to create new solutions that would only become valid once I had personally proved them. I learned how to create something from nothing and move forward with confidence in my idea. These skills have proved to be the most valuable ones in business."
To strengthen his business knowledge and skills in digital advertising, he went to the United Kingdom, choosing the University of Cambridge for his studies. He explains his choice: "Since school, I had constantly heard the name of this university whenever Newton, Darwin, Maxwell, and others were mentioned. It became an internal benchmark for me—a drive to reach the highest possible level. When I realized that I wanted to establish myself in the global market, I needed the best possible business environment for my development. That is why I chose the University of Cambridge. I did not receive any scholarships or grants. It was a significant financial investment, but I have never regretted that decision for a moment."
The potential of the Ukrainian student was also recognized at the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education. An article about his entrepreneurial activities and academic achievements—which were equally successful—was published in the university newspaper. The article was simply titled "Ihor." Moreover, his rapid progress and significant achievements in digital marketing and advertising caught the attention of the UK government, which recognized him as an Exceptional Global Talent—a distinction that, since the program was established, has been awarded to only around 3,000 people worldwide.
Ihor later continued his business education through a more practice-oriented program at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States. There, he met two entrepreneurs, and together they founded the technology startup Qail.ai, a fast-growing company developing an AI-powered system for protecting advertising traffic.As Ihor explains, the company's mission is to combat advertising fraud, which costs advertisers billions of dollars every year.
The theoretical knowledge and practical experience he gained enabled him to speak at five major international advertising conferences: Hero Conf in the United Kingdom, ADworld Experience in Italy, International Search Summit in Spain, Definitive Traffic+AI Seminar in the United States, and ecomTeam in Romania. At ADworld Experience, one of Europe's most prestigious advertising conferences, his case study received an award for the Best Advertising Case in Europe. The case involved applying mathematical N-gram analysis to search queries—the same scientific approach that can be traced back to his education at Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute. He also wrote and published the English-language book 19 Google Ads Secrets, which was published by Amazon and received the #1 New Release status.
And now comes another success: the aforementioned The Top 100 Most Influential PPC Experts ranking. Its evaluation methodology provides a comprehensive assessment of an expert's actual impact on the industry and is based on ten criteria, including votes from the professional community, speaking engagements at international conferences, publications, books, podcasts, professional community involvement, and more. Ihor Ivitskyi has all of these achievements.
"Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute taught me to think like a scientist, while business allowed me to scale the power of that thinking. I am convinced that combining the strong academic foundation of Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute with an entrepreneurial spirit is a formula that can work for any graduate of the Polytechnic," says Ihor Ivitskyi. "Our knowledge and approaches to solving complex problems are a world-class competitive advantage."