Mr Vitalii Koval served as Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine from September 2024 to July 2025, where he led reforms to boost agricultural export capacity and drive post-war rural recovery. Prior to this role, he was Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (2023–2024) and Governor of Rivne Oblast (2019–2023), overseeing critical infrastructure reconstruction and regional development.

With a Master’s degree in Banking from Ternopil National Economic University (2003) and an MBA from Lviv Business School of the Ukrainian Catholic University (2017), Mr Koval also completed the Aspen Institute Kyiv’s Responsible Leadership programme in 2021. His earlier career includes leadership positions in companies across agriculture, transport, and construction (2006–2019), following initial experience in commercial banking (2004–2006).

Mr Koval’s policy approach focused on strengthening Ukraine’s agri-food value chains, encouraging public–private investment, and advancing sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural practices. He promoted innovation, market diversification, and the alignment of national food systems with modern environmental and trade standards to ensure long-term competitiveness and food security, with a strategic goal of shifting from a raw-material export model to the production of value-added goods.