NikitaFomychov
Head of Logistics & Supply Chain and Trader at Sintez Group — running a 100+ destination carrier network and GAFTA/FOSFA grain, pulse and oilseed contracts from fixture to final discharge, with $360,000+ in verified savings along the way.
3+ years leading end-to-end logistics, supply chain and trade operations for agricultural exports. At Sintez Group, I built and run a multi-carrier network across 100+ trade destinations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, negotiate GAFTA/FOSFA contracts, manage KYC/UBO documentation and compliance, and lead a team of five through freight, demurrage and quality disputes. Before moving into commodities, I co-founded TITUL-IT, a full-service digital agency in Odesa, scaling it from the ground up with a six-person team and full P&L accountability.
Two companies, one throughline
Promoted from Execution Manager within 12 months. Full ownership of supply chain operations, team leadership, and carrier negotiations.
- Supply chain & carrier network: built and manage a multi-carrier network across 100+ destinations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East — from single-line dependency to direct partnerships with CMA CGM, MSC, AKKON, COSCO and Maersk
- Freight negotiation: lead rate and contract negotiations on every trade direction, delivering $200,000+ in freight savings through benchmarking, diversification and forwarder engagement
- Documentation & compliance: manage KYC/UBO documentation, contract proformas and credit facility requests across affiliated entities; introduced sanctions and end-destination clauses into standard templates, maintaining zero compliance violations
- Process design: designed and scaled a company-wide invoice verification system for container bookings with formal quality control standards; recovered $50,000+ in billing corrections
- Dispute resolution: resolve demurrage, detention and cargo shortage disputes through independent laytime recalculation and formal claim correspondence; recovered $110,000+ in erroneous charges
- Contract & pricing strategy: execute international commodity sales under GAFTA/FOSFA contracts, structuring Incoterms (EXW, CPT, DAP, FOB, CFR, CIF) and payment terms (CAD, Open Account) to fit partner and market conditions
- Client relationship management: manage buyer relationships across Europe, Asia and the Middle East; resolve cargo quality disputes through formal responses grounded in contract terms and survey evidence
- International representation: represented Sintez Group at Gulfood 2025 & 2026 (Dubai) and Anuga 2025 (Cologne), acquiring new international clients and expanding the partner network
- Business ownership & leadership: co-founded and scaled a full-service digital agency from the ground up, building operational structure and P&L accountability while leading an in-house team of six plus outsourced freelance specialists
- Client acquisition: built and managed a portfolio of premium regional clients — including City Center, Arcadia City, SkyMall, Aquapark Hawaii, Hotel De Paris, City Zoo, NASH restaurant and dozens more — from pitch through long-term retention
- Performance marketing: planned and executed multi-channel campaigns (Meta Ads, Google Ads) end-to-end — audience segmentation, funnel structuring, bid strategy, budget pacing and iterative A/B testing to optimise CPA and ROAS
- Web development: architected and maintained custom-coded and CMS-based websites (Vue.js, React, WordPress), handling front-end development, hosting and technical maintenance
- SMM & content strategy: developed content calendars and brand voice guidelines, managing organic social strategy and community engagement
Real problems, measurable results
Negotiated significant reductions on emergency war & crisis surcharges across two disruption events
Across two periods of acute freight-market disruption in the Middle East — the Red Sea/Strait of Hormuz security escalation and the Houthi attacks in Bab al-Mandab — carriers unilaterally imposed emergency surcharges of $2,000+ per shipment, including on rates already fixed. Structured negotiation, presenting confirmed bookings and volume relationships, secured meaningful reductions in both cases.
Built a multi-carrier framework across 100+ destinations, saving $200,000+ on freight
Logistics ran through a single carrier — Maersk — across every destination. Established direct partnerships with CMA CGM, MSC, AKKON and COSCO alongside Maersk, building a diversified network across 100+ trade directions with ongoing rate benchmarking, eliminating single-carrier dependency and creating freight arbitrage opportunities.
Independent laytime recalculation recovered over $110,000 in erroneous charges
Every demurrage, detention and cargo shortage claim undergoes independent review — cross-referencing the Statement of Facts, NOR, port logs, charter party clauses and applicable exceptions. Formal counter-calculations and claim correspondence referencing charter party clauses and NOR/SOF evidence consistently reduced liabilities.
Company-wide invoice verification system recovered over $50,000
Container booking invoices routinely carried errors — wrong rates, unapplied discounts, duplicate charges. Designed and scaled a mandatory verification process against booking confirmations and tariff sheets across the logistics team, with formal quality control standards.
End-to-end quality dispute resolution protecting contractual position
Each consignee quality disagreement is treated as a full internal investigation — surveyor coordination, review of loading and inspection documents, assessment of transit conditions, and carrier follow-up — before a formal response referencing contract terms and GAFTA/FOSFA rules.
Full-cycle digital marketing for Odesa's established brands — 3+ years of sustained results
Built long-term partnerships with recognisable regional brands — City Center, Arcadia City, SkyMall, Aquapark Hawaii, Hotel De Paris, City Zoo, NASH restaurant and dozens more — delivering targeted Meta and Google Ads, custom sites on Vue.js/React/WordPress, creative production and end-to-end Instagram management, led by an in-house team of six.
Four numbers worth noting
$360,000+ in cost & freight savings
Across demurrage recovery ($110k+), invoice corrections ($50k+) and freight rate optimisation ($200k+), through direct partnerships with CMA CGM, MSC, AKKON, COSCO and Maersk.
64% average war risk surcharge reduction
Negotiated with carrier partners during the Red Sea/Hormuz disruption, protecting margins through a volatile market period.
Dual mandate: Trading and Logistics, at once
Simultaneously owns commodity trading — GAFTA/FOSFA contracts, pricing, buyer relationships — and full logistics & supply chain operations for the same company, a combination few professionals hold concurrently.
Zero compliance violations
Built sanctions and end-destination screening into standard partner contracts, maintaining a clean compliance record across all transactions.
Core competencies
Logistics & Supply Chain
End-to-end supply chain management, cross-border transportation, carrier & partner network management, export compliance, container & bulk shipping, SOP/process design
Trade & Contracts
GAFTA/FOSFA, Incoterms 2020, charter party analysis, demurrage & detention, CAD/Open Account, contract negotiation
Partnerships & Relationships
Carrier & partner relationship management, KYC/UBO documentation, pricing strategy, market & competitor analysis
Tools & Digital
MS Excel (advanced), cargo tracking platforms, HTML/CSS, Vue.js/React/WordPress, Meta Ads, Google Ads
Languages
Ukrainian (native) · Russian (native) · English (upper-intermediate, B2)