Natalia Rogova: "Our main strength lies in our people"

27 april 2026

In the April edition of the series "About People and Good Deeds", Natalia Rogova, Chair of the Primary Trade Union Organisation at SIBUR-Neftekhim JSC in Dzerzhinsk, talks about her professional journey within the company, the evolution of the volunteer movement at the enterprise, and the principles of systematic work with employees. In the interview, Natalia shares her experience of coordinating more than 100 volunteer campaigns in 2025 and explains her approaches to motivating the team within the constraints of a production schedule. She also discusses plans to develop new areas, including environmental initiatives, and the role of the trade union organisation in building a sustainable culture of social responsibility at the enterprise.

Please tell us when you joined SIBUR-Neftekhim JSC and how your path at the company unfolded before you became head of the primary trade union organisation.

After finishing the tenth grade, I immediately started working as a storekeeper at the Kaprolaktam plant – one of the largest enterprises in Dzerzhinsk at the time. For four years, I combined work with evening classes at the Technical College named after the Red Army. In 2001, the plant became part of SIBUR-Neftekhim JSC, and I became part of a large team. Working in the PPE warehouse was very demanding: it required perfect organisation, strict record-keeping and constant communication with people from different workshops. It was there that I learned to listen carefully, find the right solutions and better understand my colleagues. Over the years at the company, I earned a higher education degree and progressed from storekeeper to site manager. I joined the trade union from day one, later became chair of the shop committee, and in 2018 my colleagues entrusted me with leading the primary trade union organisation. This is a huge responsibility that must be justified every single day. Today, 80% of our employees are trade union members, which speaks to a high level of trust. I am endlessly grateful to the SIBUR-Neftekhim team for their professionalism, openness and readiness to support any initiative.

Do you remember your very first volunteering experience? What was your entry point into volunteering?

My first volunteering experience was very personal and touching. I joined our veterans' organisation to congratulate Great Patriotic War veterans on Victory Day. We visited them at home, gave them flowers and gifts, but most importantly – we listened. For veterans, the opportunity to talk about those years and share their memories is a true treasure. In their eyes, I saw not only pride but also a huge need for human connection. It was then that I realised: volunteering is first and foremost about warmth and attention, which are sometimes more important than any material help.

Over five years, you have gone from participating in individual campaigns to becoming one of the key coordinators of the volunteer movement at the enterprise. How has your own understanding of "doing good" changed – from one-off acts of help to systematic work?

I started as a participant in one-off campaigns: responding to calls for help, taking part in specific events. But over time, I realised that targeted support, although important, does not always produce lasting results. To truly make a difference, you need a system. So I gradually moved from participation to coordination: first helping to organise events, then taking on the role of coordinator. Today, the enterprise has a fully fledged volunteer movement: we plan campaigns a quarter in advance, develop mentoring, and actively engage newcomers. My understanding of "doing good" has grown: it is no longer a flash of kindness but a sustainable corporate culture of mutual assistance.

Today you are not just a volunteer but a process organiser: coordinating activities, involving colleagues, synchronising initiatives. What are the main challenges a coordinator faces at an industrial enterprise, and how do you overcome them?

The main challenge is differing levels of motivation. Some people readily get involved in any initiative, while others need time, support and a clear explanation of the purpose of a campaign. We overcome this through open dialogue. Personal conversations, finding out colleagues' real interests and expectations help to find a role for everyone. When a person understands how their skills and time can bring real benefit, they stay with us for a long time.

In 2025, employees of SIBUR-Neftekhim JSC took part in more than 100 volunteer campaigns. How do you manage to maintain regular participation, especially when employees have busy production schedules?

Our main strength lies in our people. It is only because of their genuine caring attitude that employees are willing to find time on weekends or after shifts: to go out for clean-ups, plant trees, help animal shelters or travel to a children's rehabilitation centre. We create conditions where doing good becomes a natural part of corporate culture, not an extra burden.

Which tools or approaches work best: leading by example, recognition, team spirit, or something else?

Everything works together, but the foundation is team spirit and leading by example. The volunteer community at SIBUR-Neftekhim has become a truly close-knit team, where people come for shared purpose and emotions.

You have regular campaigns in your portfolio: "School is Coming Soon", "Keep Warm", "Kind Caps", eco-lessons. Is there a story or a specific person that makes you think: "This was worth every hour spent on organisation"?

Nothing would work without the team. We have true enthusiasts who pour their hearts into every area. For example, our labour safety technical inspector Natalia Yashkova runs the eco-lessons. She always involves labour safety representatives, and the children love looking at the "eco-suitcase", trying on gas masks and learning to sort waste. Natalia is a responsible organiser who truly cares about the cause. Our employees wait all year for the "Become Santa Claus" campaign, choosing gifts from the heart. And the leading specialist Anna Ovchinnikova – our very own kind and sincere Snow Maiden – creates the magical atmosphere. The "School is Coming Soon" campaign is coordinated by leading specialist Svetlana Bolshakova. She works closely with the social welfare department and the rehabilitation centre to make 1 September a real celebration for the children.

In October 2025, the volunteer team of SIBUR-Neftekhim took part in the opening of a lilac garden at the Square of Labour Valour. How do corporate volunteers integrate into such large-scale city initiatives, and why, in your opinion, is this important for the image and social responsibility of Dzerzhinsk?

For us, this is not a one-off event but part of systematic work. Corporate volunteers integrate naturally into city projects because we already have a huge amount of experience behind us: we regularly help shelters, collect clothes for "Keep Warm", and take part in environmental clean-ups. When the city launches a large-scale initiative, we support it not because "we have to", but because we care about how Dzerzhinsk lives and looks. Such stories work for the city's image on several levels at once. Residents see that a major enterprise is not a closed territory but an open neighbour that comes out to the square with shovels and saplings. This breaks down the stereotype of "parallel worlds" of the plant and the city. And a lilac garden at the Square of Labour Valour is deeply symbolic: respect for the past and care for the future. For the trade union, this is especially important. Volunteering is about real people who are making their hometown better with their own hands. And when our employees go out planting with their children, and veterans plant lilac alongside young people – that is true connection between generations. Without grand words, just with gloves, shovels and smiles.

The SIBUR-Neftekhim team received an award in the "Volunteer Team" category at the 6th SIBUR Corporate Volunteer Forum in Moscow. What, in your opinion, was the main secret of this success?

In 2025, our labour safety technical inspector Natalia Yashkova became actively involved in coordinating the volunteer movement. She took on the organisation of all campaigns within the "Formula for Good Deeds" and the systematic tracking of colleagues' participation. Thanks to her sense of responsibility, leadership qualities and trusting relationships with employees, the number of volunteers grew noticeably. But the main secret of success lies in our unity. The forum award is not a personal achievement but a collective victory of the SIBUR-Neftekhim team.

What volunteer areas or projects do you plan to launch or develop in 2026? Is there a "dream" that the team is still working on?

The team has a long-held dream – to organise an eco-rafting trip. We want to combine a nature getaway, team building and real benefit: cleaning the riverbanks of litter. It would be a form of eco-tourism with an emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and caring for the environment. The project is still in the development stage, but we are confident that such an initiative will unite employees and show that caring for nature can be both exciting and useful.

If you could give one piece of advice to a colleague who wants to start volunteering but is afraid they "won't be able to handle it" or that "it's not for them", what would you say?

The hardest step is the first one. But if you are already thinking about volunteering, then deep down you have already taken it. Volunteering is about a kind heart, a wealth of genuine emotions and a sense of being part of real change. Try it just once – and you will see how it fills you with energy, brings new acquaintances and a sense of purpose. The main thing is to start – after that, you won't want to stop.

[TYPE] => HTML ) [~DESCRIPTION] => [DISPLAY_VALUE] =>

Please tell us when you joined SIBUR-Neftekhim JSC and how your path at the company unfolded before you became head of the primary trade union organisation.

Do you remember your very first volunteering experience? What was your entry point into volunteering?

Which tools or approaches work best: leading by example, recognition, team spirit, or something else?

The SIBUR-Neftekhim team received an award in the "Volunteer Team" category at the 6th SIBUR Corporate Volunteer Forum in Moscow. What, in your opinion, was the main secret of this success?

What volunteer areas or projects do you plan to launch or develop in 2026? Is there a "dream" that the team is still working on?

If you could give one piece of advice to a colleague who wants to start volunteering but is afraid they "won't be able to handle it" or that "it's not for them", what would you say?

)

Please tell us when you joined SIBUR-Neftekhim JSC and how your path at the company unfolded before you became head of the primary trade union organisation.

Do you remember your very first volunteering experience? What was your entry point into volunteering?

Which tools or approaches work best: leading by example, recognition, team spirit, or something else?

The SIBUR-Neftekhim team received an award in the "Volunteer Team" category at the 6th SIBUR Corporate Volunteer Forum in Moscow. What, in your opinion, was the main secret of this success?

What volunteer areas or projects do you plan to launch or develop in 2026? Is there a "dream" that the team is still working on?

If you could give one piece of advice to a colleague who wants to start volunteering but is afraid they "won't be able to handle it" or that "it's not for them", what would you say?

SIBUR's Tobolsk enterprise completes charitable campaign "Parcel of Kindness for a Veteran"

Tobolsk, 8 May

Young footballers from Svobodny to compete for places at SIBUR sports camp

Svobodnii, 7 May

Schoolchildren in Nizhnevartovsk introduced to careers of the future thanks to SIBUR

Nizhnevartovsk, 7 May