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Ten days after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Elizabeth drove alone, across Europe to Ukraine. Aiming to do what she could for a few weeks, she went on to found an independent unit to solve critical civilian catastrophes and stayed for three years of war. She looks at what it means to lead with adaptability, resilience and integrity under the most challenging conditions. She also provides unfiltered insights from Ukraine’s frontlines, cutting through Western misconceptions to reveal the real dynamics of modern conflict.
Elizabeth Bullock is a technology leader turned frontline operations leader and strategist, who spent over 1,000 days operating in Ukraine's most heavily affected zones. Her more than ten years in the technology sector was focused on scaling start-ups, which more latterly included tools used for defence intelligence. Just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion she left her career in technology, drove alone to Ukraine and began evacuating vulnerable civilians.
Having originally planned to stay for just a few weeks to help where she could, Elizabeth was present at or near the frontline for three years and built a team founded on efficiency, practicality and on-the-ground need. Rejecting bureaucracy and performative aid, she founded an independent, rapid-response unit, British Expeditionary Aid & Rescue. She led with the precision and mindset of a start-up – lean, adaptive and unequivocally focused on results.
Leading operations to solve critical civic catastrophes – such as bedridden people being trapped ahead of the Russians’ advance in the Donbas, or thousands of people’s drinking water being fatally contaminated overnight after the flooding from the Russians’ destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam – Elizabeth’s approach was rooted in action, integrity and self-sufficiency. Her work has been documented by the BBC, The New York Times, Sky News, Le Monde, The Washington Post, and in the award-winning documentary film Dear Beautiful Beloved.
Having completed her work and returned to the UK, Elizabeth shares visceral, real-world insights and lessons that prioritise results over theory. For senior leaders and teams, she delivers a rare combination of first-hand, genuine experience and sharp strategic clarity. She provides an acute understanding of what it means to lead and execute with clarity and composure amidst chaos, delivering results where traditional systems fail.
As one of the very few people who have spent three years in frontline areas of Ukraine full time, Elizabeth holds an exceptional knowledge and perspective of the conflict. She explains the geopolitical and cultural nuances, and dispels many misconceptions often unknowingly held in the West. Her intimate experience of the war spans the north (Kyiv, Bucha), the eastern Donbas (Lysychansk, Bakhmut), the north east (Kharkiv, Izyum) and the southern front (Kherson, Mykolaiv). As well as exploring the wider lessons she has learned from the conflict, she addresses business leaders, policy makers, senior military personnel, and defence and technology innovators, helping those seeking a deeper understanding of a war that is reshaping many aspects of life in Europe and around the world.
