From transforming IT companies to modernizing one of the world’s largest music labels, the story of Mykhaylo Kurtikov vividly demonstrates how innovative technologies and bold decisions can generate millions in revenue and fundamentally change the game.
In 2025, Mykhaylo received international recognition as a judge for the prestigious Globee® Awards for Technology held in San Jose, California. This global competition unites over 3,500 participants from dozens of countries and celebrates the best innovations in technology. Mykhaylo was officially certified as a jury member, tasked with evaluating leading-edge projects and startups across diverse categories, including artificial intelligence and cloud solutions. In addition to this honor, he is a member of IEEE, the world’s largest professional organization for technology and engineering, as well as part of Raptors, a professional community of experts promoting cutting-edge technological solutions.
With over fifteen years of experience, Mykhaylo Kurtikov has established himself as a leading software engineer and architect, successfully delivering major international projects across the United States and Europe. His career showcases the vital role engineers play today as technical experts and as strategic leaders shaping the future of business through technology.
Mykhaylo began his career as a developer, but from the outset, he sought to go beyond simply writing code. He was deeply interested in business outcomes — how architecture affects revenue, how technical solutions improve processes, and what needs to be changed to make a product scalable and effective. This mindset quickly led him to leadership roles where he became a driver of transformation rather than just an executor.
A pivotal point in his career came at Yalantis, a globally recognized software development company with over 16 years of experience and a team of nearly 500 experts across Europe. Founded in 2008, Yalantis has established itself as a trusted partner for enterprises seeking scalable, secure, and innovative digital solutions. The company specializes in custom software development, IT consulting, and digital transformation, serving clients in various industries, including healthcare, FinTech, transportation, and manufacturing. Notably, Yalantis has been recognized as a top offshore software development company by DesignRush and has maintained long-term partnerships with clients such as KPMG, Bosch, and Türk Telekom . With a commitment to excellence, Yalantis has successfully delivered over 300 client projects and boasts a 5.8/6 net promoter score, reflecting high client satisfaction.
Before Mykhaylo Kurtikov joined Yalantis, the company lacked an in-house backend development team and relied on contractors, which led to delays, increased costs, and challenges in maintaining institutional knowledge. Mykhaylo was tasked with building the backend department from scratch. He defined the tech stack, implemented development standards, and assembled a team of top-tier engineers. These initiatives enabled Yalantis to internalize backend development, significantly cut expenses, and enhance the quality of delivered projects. His leadership laid the foundation for Yalantis’s continued growth, including doubling the size of the development team. Additionally, Mykhaylo standardized internal processes, launched an internal education system for engineers, and represented the company in high-level client negotiations.
He later took on new challenges at Warner Music Group (WMG) – one of the world’s largest and most influential music companies, consistently ranked among the top three global music corporations alongside Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Founded over a century ago, WMG boasts a rich legacy of shaping the music industry through iconic artists, innovative business models, and cutting-edge technology. As a major player in global entertainment, Warner Music Group manages an extensive catalog of recordings and publishes music across virtually every genre, generating billions in annual revenue and maintaining partnerships with leading digital platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
At WMG, Mykhaylo now serves as a senior software engineer, leading the development of critical internal systems that directly impact core business operations. One of his standout projects was the creation of a music release management platform that automated what was previously a highly manual and resource-intensive process. Whereas creating or editing a release once took several days and required coordination among over 30 staff members, the new platform, designed under Mykhaylo’s leadership, empowers independent label partners to manage their releases autonomously. This innovation has reduced the process to about an hour, greatly increasing operational efficiency and optimizing a business stream that accounts for roughly 20% of Warner Music Group’s annual revenue.
Today, Mykhaylo is increasingly focused on the integration of artificial intelligence and self-learning systems — innovations he believes will define the next wave of technological disruption. He emphasizes that success in the tech world requires more than just up-to-date knowledge. Actual impact comes from understanding business goals, taking responsibility, and being able to scale technical solutions in complex and rapidly changing environments.
We are already seeing how artificial intelligence and big data are transforming the industry. It’s not just about personalized recommendations for listeners anymore. In the future, AI will play an even bigger role in A&R (artist discovery and development), hit prediction, marketing optimization, and anti-piracy measures. For IT professionals, this means working with highly complex systems capable of processing massive data streams in real time and making autonomous decisions. Speed, efficiency, and system intelligence will be the core differentiators of tomorrow’s market leaders.
Mykhaylo Kurtikov’s story is about a professional who thinks like an entrepreneur, acts like a strategist, and builds like an engineer. In a world where technology is the foundation of competitive advantage, professionals like him play a pivotal role in the success of global enterprises. His journey is an inspiring example for those who want not just to follow trends, but to shape them.
