About Trident Forward
Independent advisory firm providing decision-grade risk assessment, compliance analysis, and execution structuring for companies operating in Ukraine.
Founders & Leadership
Michael R. Druckman
Founder and Managing Director
Previously based in Kyiv for 15 years, Michael has advised government stakeholders, regional development agencies, and business leaders throughout Ukraine. His work spans political analysis, stakeholder mapping, and commercial strategy design for firms, diplomats, and foreign projects engaged in Ukraine’s development and reconstruction economy. Michael also has a background in public opinion research having led polling portfolios for multiple diplomatic missions and Ukrainian ministries over the past decade, including regular briefing work on political and economic risk. His 20+ years working in Eastern Europe also includes stints in Poland and Central Asia. Michael now leads Trident Forward from our headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Timothy Stoutzenberger
Managing Director
Based in Rome, Timothy leads Trident Forward's Italy Hub supporting European stakeholders exploring opportunities in Ukraine's reconstruction landscape. Timothy has worked across Eastern Europe and the Balkans for more than 15 years, helping organizations and clients navigate complex political, economic, and security environments. Timothy has managed flagship Ukraine programs for the U.S. and Canadian government, worked on reform initiatives for the Council of Europe in Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia, and provided market entry support for business associations in the Balkans. He has an academic background in border security and illicit trade analysis and holds advanced degrees from Syracuse University and the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism. Previously, Timothy spent six years covering international affairs for CNN and National Geographic.
Fedir "Ted" Martynov
Director of Operations, Defense & Tech
Operational and defense-sector experience across drones, fintech, cleantech, and emerging technologies. Led the Innovation Hub at TAF Drones, one of Ukraine's largest military drone producers.
Previously CEO of SolarHome (Southeast Asia) and CARMACHAIN (Africa). Volunteer roles with Razom and regional reform initiatives.
Kyiv — embedded in Ukrainian institutional and defense-facing environments.
Why Trident Exists
We built Trident to fill an integration gap that kept creating the same losses. Law firms issued technically correct but commercially unusable advice. Political risk analysts provided macro commentary disconnected from deal reality. Local intermediaries lacked regulatory fluency and documentation discipline. There was no advisory layer sitting between all three.
Operating Model
Defined scope. Written outputs. No success fees.
Structured engagements
Time-bound mandates with documented deliverables and defined completion criteria
Verification mandates
Targeted counterparty, ownership, and supply chain review
Advisory retainers
Ongoing support for active operations with regular written analysis
Independence is structural
No procurement success fees, no equity positions, no transaction intermediary role — objectivity cannot be conditional
Advisory Philosophy
Geographic Footprint
Trident operates as a cross-border advisory cell with nodes in decision centers.
Kyiv
Ted
Embedded in Ukrainian institutional and defense-facing environments. Ukraine-side reality is grounded here: institutional signal, execution dynamics, counterparty access.
Washington, D.C.
Michael
U.S. regulatory and policy interface. Compliance interpretation, political exposure assessment, and regulatory sequencing are grounded here.
European Union
Tim
EU-facing dynamics: sanctions frameworks, funding instruments, export constraints, and institutional alignment.
Partners
GOLAW Law Firm
Expert legal services for international corporates entering Ukraine. Top-ranked firm with established EU presence.
golaw.uaNGO Agency for Recovery and Development
Leading municipal reconstruction organization with nationwide presence. Deep insight into community investment programs.
ard-ukraine.org.uaEuro Creative
French think tank strengthening France–CEE relations. Focused on European cohesion and policy influence.
eurocreative.fr