Dr. Gennady Yumshtyk is the Founder and CEO of Paradigm Shift Technologies Inc., a leader in advanced coating technologies for the defense sector. With over 40 years of engineering experience and multiple patents, he has pioneered environmentally sustainable coating solutions, including EPVD® technology, a high-performance alternative to chrome plating for gun barrels and critical tubular components. Under his leadership, Paradigm Shift has become a trusted partner for defense and allied industries, delivering coatings that improve performance while reducing environmental and health hazards, and driving the transition toward safer, cleaner processes in military and industrial applications.
Company: Paradigm Shift Technologies Inc.
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Gennady Yumshtyk: Thank you, it’s an honor to be featured in ValiantCEO Magazine. We’re excited to share our story with your global readership.
My name is Gennady, and I am the CEO of Paradigm Shift Technologies, a Green-tech company pioneering advanced surface engineering solutions for critical applications. Our flagship patented innovation, Enhanced Physical Vapor Deposition (EPVD®), is a next-generation coating technology that eliminates the need for toxic hexavalent chrome – a long-standing environmental and performance challenge in the defense and industrial sectors. What sets us apart from traditional PVD coatings is that EPVD® can be applied on the inside diameter of tubes, pipes, and barrels of all lengths and sizes.
Founded in 1995, Paradigm Shift spent over two decades in rigorous R&D before gaining momentum in military and dual-use markets. Today, our coatings are being validated across a range of systems from large-caliber artillery barrels to energy infrastructure, delivering breakthrough performance, regulatory compliance, and longer service life under extreme operating conditions.
We’re not just coating tubes, we’re reshaping what’s possible in environments where failure is not an option.
What inspired you to prioritize sustainability as a core pillar of your business, and how do you ensure it’s more than just a buzzword in your strategy?
Gennady Yumshtyk: Sustainability is deeply personal to me. I was born in Ukraine and spent much of my childhood enjoying summers at my grandparents’ cabin, surrounded by pristine nature. We would spend our days in the forest picking wild spinach and berries, and even drinking directly from the nearby stream. It was pure, untouched, and safe, and everyone felt the difference in their health and well-being.
Sadly, for much of the developed world today, that kind of experience is no longer possible. The air, water, and soil have been compromised by decades of unchecked industrial pollution. This loss is not just environmental, it’s generational.
That’s why sustainability isn’t a buzzword for us at Paradigm Shift Technologies; it’s a non-negotiable principle. We design technologies like EPVD® to replace toxic legacy processes such as hexavalent chrome plating with high-performance, environmentally safe alternatives. We work closely with regulators and defense agencies to not only meet compliance standards, but to help shape the next generation of sustainable manufacturing.
Ultimately, my vision is simple: I want my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to walk through a forest one day, pick food from the earth, drink from a stream, and feel what it means to live in a healthy, balanced world.
What’s one specific sustainability initiative in your company that has delivered both environmental impact and measurable financial returns?
Gennady Yumshtyk: One of our most impactful sustainability initiatives has been the development and commercialization of our Enhanced Physical Vapor Deposition (EPVD®) technology, which replaces hexavalent chromium plating a highly toxic and heavily regulated process still widely used in defense and industrial manufacturing.
Hex chrome isn’t just harmful to the environment; it’s dangerous for workers and expensive to manage due to escalating regulatory and disposal costs. By offering a non-toxic, high-performance alternative, EPVD® has allowed our partners to eliminate hazardous waste, reduce environmental compliance burdens, and cut millions in lifetime operational costs, particularly in the maintenance of large-caliber weapon systems and industrial components.
From a financial perspective, the switch to EPVD® has helped clients extend barrel life by up to 2x, reduce downtime, and lower replacement frequency, resulting in measurable ROI. For us, it’s also opened up entirely new markets from military to oil and gas where demand for clean, durable coatings is accelerating under global ESG mandates.
How do you navigate pushback from stakeholders such as investors or board members who prioritize short-term profits over long-term sustainability goals?
Gennady Yumshtyk: Navigating pushback from stakeholders who are focused on short-term profits is a challenge every sustainability-driven company eventually faces. At Paradigm Shift Technologies, we address it head-on with data, transparency, and a long-term value mindset.
We’ve learned that the best way to shift perspectives is to demonstrate that sustainability is not a cost, it’s a competitive advantage. For example, our EPVD® technology not only eliminates toxic waste but also significantly reduces lifecycle costs by extending equipment longevity and minimizing maintenance. When we show stakeholders the total cost of ownership and the growing global demand for environmentally responsible solutions, the conversation quickly moves from resistance to alignment.
We also remind our investors and partners that regulatory trends aren’t optional, they’re accelerating. Companies that delay adaptation will face higher costs, steeper compliance risks, and shrinking market access. In contrast, those that lead with sustainability will be better positioned for stable growth, global contracts, and long-term resilience.
Ultimately, we bring stakeholders into the strategy, not just the story so they see that sustainability isn’t about sacrificing profitability. It’s about future-proofing the business.
What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve faced in embedding sustainable practices into your operations, and how did you overcome it?
Gennady Yumshtyk: The biggest obstacle we’ve faced in embedding sustainable practices into our operations has been overcoming institutional resistance to change, especially in industries like defense and heavy manufacturing, where legacy systems, outdated practices, and entrenched supply chains dominate.
EPVD® technology replaces toxic hexavalent chrome with a cleaner, safer alternative, but many stakeholders are hesitant to adopt new processes, even when the environmental and performance benefits are clear. There’s a prevailing mindset of “we’ve always done it this way,” and shifting that requires more than just innovation, it requires education, trust, and proof.
We didn’t just claim our solution was better, we demonstrated it. As a result, EPVD® is now actively being evaluated and adopted in critical applications across defense and industrial sectors.
Sustainability can’t be bolted on, it has to be proven and integrated, and that’s how we’ve earned the trust needed to drive real change.
Looking ahead, what emerging sustainability trend or innovation do you believe will reshape your industry, and how is your company preparing to lead in that space?
Gennady Yumshtyk: One of the most significant sustainability trends we see reshaping our industry is the regulatory-driven phase-out of toxic legacy processes, especially those involving hazardous materials. Governments and global agencies are moving beyond recommendations and into hard compliance, forcing industries to rethink how components are manufactured, coated, and maintained.
This shift isn’t limited to defense – it’s accelerating across energy, aerospace, and transportation. What’s emerging is a new standard: sustainability and performance must go hand-in-hand.
At Paradigm Shift Technologies, we’ve positioned ourselves to lead this transition with EPVD®, our proprietary coating technology that is both environmentally safe and operationally superior. As the world demands cleaner processes without sacrificing durability or precision, EPVD® stands ready as a next-generation solution, not just to comply, but to outperform.
We’re also preparing for broader adoption by expanding our partnerships, scaling production capability, and working closely with regulatory bodies to help define new standards. We believe the companies that lead in sustainable engineering will define the future of defense and industrial manufacturing and we’re committed to being one of them.
