Ilya Yanenka – From calculations to real-world decisions

Some people understand structure on paper. Others understand what structure means only when it reaches real working conditions. Ilya Yanenka stands between those two worlds.

With a master’s degree in civil construction engineering focused on steel structures, his professional foundation was built on logic, precision, and responsibility. But for Ilya, engineering stopped being only drawings and calculations the moment he saw how even a small office decision could affect the people working on site. As he puts it, saving 10 minutes in the office can cost half a day of extra work on the construction site.

In 2022, he moved from Belarus to Lithuania after joining Layher Baltic to work on a scaffolding project at the Orlen refinery in Mažeikiai. At that moment, scaffolding was still a new field for him, but the experience quickly changed his mindset. Working in a multinational environment taught him not only technical discipline, but also the importance of communication, structured management, and understanding people under pressure.

Today, as Competition Technical Lead of ScaffChamp, Ilya is responsible for referee supervision, rules, penalties, and competition structure. His role may stay behind the scenes, but it plays a vital part in making the championship fair, clear, and professionally built. His story shows that good systems are never created by theory alone. They are shaped by people who understand how decisions work in real life.