Speakers
Speakers
Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez
Motivational Speaker
Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez
Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez served as a Senior career diplomat representing the United States of America and leading U.S. missions across the globe in ten countries for 30 years – from Latin America to South and Central Asia to Europe. She served as Deputy Chief of Mission or Charge d’affaires in Bulgaria, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, and Honduras. In Washington, D.C. she served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of the Office of India and Bhutan, among other positions.
She has extensive experience building, motivating, and leading high-functioning cross-cultural teams of up to 500 people, capitalizing on team members’ different languages, skills, and experiences to achieve success.
Andrea is a lifelong art lover and collector who has created networks of artists, curators, gallerists, and cultural figures wherever she has lived. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Sofia Art Fair and is an active member of the National Security Leaders for America. Andrea is bilingual in Spanish, and has professional fluency in Russian and Bulgarian, with some experience in Italian and Danish.
Natalia Efremova
Minister of Labor and Social Policy
Natalia Efremova
Natalia Efremova graduated in Law from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Veliko Tarnovo “St. Cyril and St. Methodius”. She has extensive experience in the state administration, having held both expert and senior management positions in the fields of labour and social policy, European Union funds management, and healthcare.
She began her career in the state administration in 2000 at the State Receivables Agency under the Ministry of Finance. Three years later, she continued her professional career at the Ministry of Health, where she held various positions. Between 2005 and 2008, she served as Health Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria to the European Union in Brussels. She subsequently headed the Programmes and Projects Management Directorate.
Her career later continued at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, where she has held various senior management positions since 2009. Between 2009 and 2022, she occupied leadership roles in the field of European Union funds management as Deputy Director General and Director General of the General Directorate “European Funds, International Programmes and Projects” – Managing Authority of the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development”. Her main responsibilities included the programming, contracting and verification of European funding in the areas of the labour market, social inclusion, education and healthcare. She also managed the PHARE Programme.
In 2022, she became Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy responsible for European funds and programmes and international cooperation. She also held this position from April 2024 until May 2026. Her portfolio included the coordination of labour market policies, labour and social security rights, living standards and demographic policy, international cooperation, and the management of European funds and programmes.
As Deputy Minister, she served as Governor of the Working Conditions Fund, Chair of the National Employment Promotion Council, and National Coordinator for the European Child Guarantee. She also held the position of National Coordinator for the European Year of Skills.
She is fluent in English and Russian. She is married and has two children.
Liliya Stoyanovich
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
Liliya Stoyanovich
Liliya Stoyanovich has extensive professional experience in the management of European programmes and projects, public administration, international institutional cooperation, and business support.
From mid-2025 to May 2026, she served as an Adviser at the Commercial and Economic Affairs Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in London, where she supported the development of bilateral institutional and business relations between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.
Between 2009 and 2020, she held a series of expert and managerial positions within the General Directorate for European Funds, International Programmes and Projects at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, including Head of the Technical Assistance Department and Director General of the Directorate. Between 2016 and 2020, she served as Head of the Managing Authority of the Human Resources Development Operational Programme, Chair of the Programme’s Monitoring Committee, and a regular member of the European Commission’s European Social Fund Committee.
Her professional background also includes work on the JOBS Project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as with ACDI/VOCA under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with a focus on entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the development of various sectors of the food industry.
She holds a Master’s degree in Electronics from the Technical University of Sofia and has completed a specialization in International Economic Relations at the University’s Faculty of Economics. She has undertaken numerous training programmes in Bulgaria and abroad in the fields of management, control and audit of European Structural and Investment Funds, public procurement, leadership, and communication in public administration.
Dr. Maria Hristova
Senior Executive Director, Invest Sofia
Dr. Maria Hristova
Maria Hristova, PhD has a Master’s degree in Business and Human Resources Development & Administration. She specialized in Paris X Nanterre, integrating people with physical and mental disabilities. She has developed a scientific paper on the topic of Development of the dual career model in Bulgaria.
Maria has held the position of Commercial Director in a digital marketing agency for almost 14 years. She has been a lecturer in statistics for more than 4 years, and currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Sofia Municipal Agency for Privatization and Investment, part of the general administration of Sofia Municipality.
Result-oriented specialist in the field of digital strategies, innovations in the educational system and the dialogue between business, education and administration.
She is motivated by both success and failure. Maria defines herself as a visionary, with a positive attitude towards the circumstances around her and also a team player with a strong sense of justice.
Andriana Sukova
Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Андрияна Сукова
Mrs Sukova is the Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. She is in charge of Funds, fair transition and analysis. Ms Sukova is an economist by education, with ample experience in the area of integration into the European Union both in the Government and non governmental sector.
After Bulgaria’s accession to the EU, Ms Sukova joined the Cabinet of Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva.
In August 2010 she was appointed Director in DG EMPL. She was in charge of the European Social Fund policy and legislation preparation, negotiations on the regulatory framework for the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 programming periods.
Since March 2018, Mrs Sukova is the Deputy Director General of DG Employment, in charge of all funds in this directorate general, the biggest still is the European Social fund. She is also in charge of the coordination of social and economic policies in the EU in the framework of the European semester and the fairness of the twin green and digital transition.
Svetla Kostadinova
Executive Director, Institute for Market Economics (IME)
Svetla Kostadinova
Svetla Kostadinova joined the IME team in 2001 as an economist, and since 2007 she has been the Institute’s executive director. She is an economist by education with a master’s degree in finance. Has expertise in policy impact assessment, entrepreneurship, economic freedom. Under her leadership, the IPI initiated campaigns for a number of changes in public policies protecting individual freedom and limiting the role of the state.
In 2012, Mrs. Kostadinova was among the top 30 most influential women in Bulgaria according to v. Capital, and in 2015 she was among the 20 most influential women in Bulgaria according to Forbes magazine. He is a fellow of the German Marshall Fund and the American Council on Germany.
Mira Dobreva
TV journalist, presenter, producer, author, researcher of centenarians’ life stories
Mira Dobreva
Mira Dobreva is a TV journalist, presenter, producer, and author who has spent the last 16 years dedicated to researching longevity and the lives of centenarians. To date, she has met with 160 centenarians from Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Greece, and Serbia, as well as from the “Blue Zones” of Sardinia and Ikaria. In her work, she explores not only the stories of these people as witnesses to their times but also their lifestyles, daily habits, behavior, relationships, and social environments, seeking answers to one of the most interesting questions of our era: how we can live not merely longer, but longer in good health.
Mira is the author of three books—two of which focus on centenarians and longevity—as well as numerous documentaries and television formats.
Her professional career has included work at Nova TV and BNT, and her work as a journalist and documentary filmmaker has been recognized with a number of national awards, including the Union of Bulgarian Journalists’ special award for television journalism and the “Saba Vazova” National Literature Award.
Georgi Uzunov
Managing Partner, Loyalty Effect Bulgaria
Georgi Uzunov
With 20+ years in leadership roles (CEO, CFO) at large international companies, George brings a depth of experience in people and client management. As a member of the leadership team of Foundever EMEA ( fka Sitel ), he has successfully grown the East-European operations for more than 15 years in a row. George has experience of launching brand new operations/sites – Foundever Belgrade (Serbia) , Foundever Varna, and Capita UK operations in Bulgaria.
Lidiya Shuleva
Member of the Management Boars of the Council od Women in Business in Bulgaria, Managing Partner at Business Intellect
Lidiya Shuleva
Lydia Shuleva is a business and financial consultant with more than 30 years of experience. Through individual and group coaching, team building and specialized seminars, Lydia Shuleva helps CEOs or management teams identify the strategic steps to success. By providing coaching services, she is committed to helping her clients develop their potential both personally and in business. In addition to her work as a business and financial consultant, Lydia has served as CEO of Albena Invest Holding, where she was involved in the restructuring and management of over 20 subsidiary companies in various sectors of the economy.
From 2001 to 2009 she was Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Minister of Economy, Member of the European and Bulgarian Parliaments. She has worked as an advisor to the Ukrainian government on EU association issues. Since 2009 she has been a member of the Board of Governors of the United Nations University, which includes 16 research institutes from around the world. He is currently Chairman of the Specialized Committee on Economic Development of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Dr. Tatyana Novossiolova
Senior Analyst, Legal Programme, Center for the Study of Democracy, Project manager of Bulgarian Diversity Charter
Dr. Tatyana Novossiolova
Education
PhD in Politics and International Security, University of Bradford, UK; B.A. in International Relations and Security Studies, University of Bradford, UK.
Biography
Tatyana Novossiolova is a Senior Analyst at the Law Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria. She is experienced in project management, academic and policy research and analysis, and curriculum development and training delivery both as part of higher education and continued professional learning. Tatyana’s main research interest includes the cross-cut between international law and policy sustainability with a focus on cultures of conduct and professional responsibility and integrity. A particular focus area of research is the impact of scientific and technological advancement on the existing regulatory regimes and the various ethical, social, and security concerns arising therefrom. She is also interested in the application of active learning methods and ICT technology in the field of teaching and learning. Prior to joining the Center for the Study of Democracy, Tatyana has served as a technical/scientific expert to the International Federation of Biosafety Associations and the Landau Network-Fondazione Volta, Italy; she has held internships at the Bradford Disarmament Research Centre, UK, and the UN Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit in Geneva; and has consulted government agencies, international organisations, and non-governmental stakeholders on the development and implementation of scientist engagement and education programmes on issues related to security and ethics. Tatyana is a former Wellcome Trust scholar. She has published widely in policy and academic circles.
Research focus
Interplay between laws and norms; normative/organisational change; capacity building; CBRN issues; counter-terrorism; emerging security threats; societal resilience Languages: English, Русский, Deutsch
Veneta Behar
Director of M3 College, creator of The Art of Win
Veneta Behar
Veneta Behar is a strategic advisor to leaders navigating key transitions in their careers and lives, with over 25 years of international experience in building and developing businesses.
Her career spans Belgium, France, and the Central and Eastern European region, where she spent many years with Lesaffre, a global leader in fermentation technologies. She later took over the management of the company in Bulgaria as General Manager and member of the regional Board, successfully transforming the business into a sustainable and profitable operation.
Since the end of 2025, she has also been Director of M3 College, where she contributes to the development of a new generation of leaders through practical, experience-driven business education.
Today, she is the creator of The Art of Win — a project dedicated to individuals who have already achieved success and are ready to rethink their next big step — particularly at stages of maturity, when experience becomes a true strategic advantage.
She embraces challenges and approaches life with optimism, confidence, and enthusiasm. She believes that the most valuable knowledge is built through real-life experience — and that its greatest value lies in being shared.
She is a member of the Board of the French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she actively contributes to the development of business relations between Bulgaria and France.
For her, success is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a bigger game.
Svetla Nestorova
CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board, Pension Insurance Company “Doverie”
Svetla Nestorova
Svetla Nestorova assumed leadership of Pension Insurance Company “Doverie” in March 2024.
Prior to this, from 2004 to 2024, she was part of the team at Bulstrad Life Vienna Insurance Group EAD—initially as Marketing and Sales Director, and from 2006 to March 2024 as CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board.
Concurrently, from 2013 to 2017, she served as a member of the Audit Committee of Pension Insurance Company “Doverie,” and from 2017 to 2019, as a member of the Company’s Supervisory Board. Since 2013, she has been a member of the Advisory Board of The Voluntary Pension Fund “Doverie”.
She served two terms as Chairman of the Management Board, four years as Deputy Chairman, and ten consecutive years as a member of the Management Board of the Association of Bulgarian Insurers. Additionally, for six years, she chaired the Association’s Life Insurance Committee.
For four years, she served as a member of the Executive Committee of the international organization Insurance Europe, and for one year, as a member of its Strategic Committee.
She is the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Prof. Dr. Veleslav Gavriyski Foundation. She is the recipient of the “Manager of the Year” award for 2019, as well as the special prize from the Prof. Dr. Veleslav Gavriyski Foundation for his overall contribution to the development of the Bulgarian insurance sector.
Over the years, she has actively worked to raise public awareness regarding the importance of insurance protection and financial literacy. She also supports various initiatives focused on the sustainable development of the Bulgarian insurance industry within the framework of the EU Single Market.
Miroslav Marinov
Executive Director and Member of the Management Board, Pension Insurance Company “Doverie”
Miroslav Marinov
Miroslav Marinov began his career as a financial analyst in the Finance and Accounting Department of Pension Insurance Company “Doverie” in 1999. He was selected from among more than 200 candidates who interviewed for the position during the “Career Days 1999” event organized by AIESEC Bulgaria.
In early 2000, he was appointed Internal Auditor; from April 2001, he served as Director of the Finance, Accounting, and Investments Directorate; and from September 2008, he held the positions of Deputy CEO and CFO.
In 2012, he was elected a member of the Management Board and subsequently became the Company’s Executive Director. He holds a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE).
Prior to joining Pension Insurance Company “Doverie”, he gained experience as a real estate broker and a Capital Markets Assistant Manager. In 2020, he was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award for the Development of the Bulgarian Insurance Sector” by the Prof. Dr. Veleslav Gavriyski Foundation.
Vladislava Georgieva
Human Resources Manager, Nuvei
Vladislava Georgieva
Vladislava Georgieva is an HR leader with over 20 years of experience in the fintech industry, working side-by-side with business leaders to build strong, resilient, and high-performing teams. She focuses on the mutual growth of people and the business—driven by clear strategy, transformation, and adaptation to the new workplace reality.
She is passionate about the future of work and how organizations can unlock their people’s potential to achieve sustainable growth in a dynamic environment.
Petko Karamochev
CEO and Co-founder of INDUSTRIA
Petko Karamochev
Petko Karamochev is the CEO and co-founder of INDUSTRIA, a technology company that develops enterprise digital platforms, business and industrial systems, and solutions for process orchestration, integration, data management, and managed automation. The company’s work includes Odoo-based implementations as well as the integration of Advantech’s industrial and edge technologies.
Petko also collaborates with R3 on the application of DLT outside the financial sector.
He is a graduate of the University of Portsmouth (UK) and Cotrugli Business School, and has completed Artificial intelligence programs at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
From 2019 to 2020, Petko served as an advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blockchain in the UK Parliament. He participates as an expert in ISO/TC 307 (Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies) and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 (Artificial intelligence). He is also an Industry Associate at the Centre for Blockchain Technologies at University College London.
His expertise spans blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, digital assets, confidential computing, digital smart legal contracts, technology standards, and the management of complex digital transformation processes.
Alexander Alexandrov
Investor, lecturer, author and publisher, GRIFFIN PUBLISHING
Alexander Alexandrov
Alexander Alexandrov is a finance and operations executive, investor, lecturer, and author with more than three decades of professional experience in finance, investment management, and organisational leadership.
For more than 16 years, he served as Vice President for Finance and Administration at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG), with responsibilities spanning finance, investments, operations, and information technology. He was involved in managing the University’s investment portfolio and contributed to the work of its finance, investment, and audit committees.
He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) professional designations, as well as an MBA. He has also completed a professional qualification in higher education management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Alexandrov has taught at four universities in Bulgaria and the United States, including the American University in Bulgaria and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”
He is the author of “Yoga for Your Money”, “Financial and Investment Intelligence”, and “BITCOIN: An Autopsy Without the Benefit of Death”, as well as the forthcoming book “The Intelligent Investor 2.0”.
His books form part of his broader work on the concept of the “Conscious Investor” – an approach that views investing not merely as a process of selecting assets, but as a discipline of making better decisions. This work also includes the children’s financial
education platform “In the World of Money” and the MAFinPro Investment Academy.
Moderators
Krasimira Hadzhiivanova
Founder of “Maiko Mila” and “Ole Male”
Krasimira Hadzhiivanova
Krasimira Hadzhiivanova is the founder of the parenting media platform “Maiko Mila” and the social enterprise “Ole Male”. She began her professional career in online media in 2001 and has been part of various media groups over the years. She is also a member of the stand-up comedy act “Three Women at the Microphone.”
Zornitsa Roussinova
President of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria
Зорница Русинова
Zornitsa Roussinova is the President of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria. She was a Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy in three governments in the period of 2012 – 2020 and Minister of Labour and Social Policy in the period 2016 – 2017. She was coordinating the labour market, social inclusion, labour law policies, EU and international affairs, EU funds management. She was also a director in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and Ministry of State Administration and Administrative reform. She was leading successful projects un the USAID, UNDP and BG-Swiss contribution progarmmes. She holds a MA in International Economic Relations. Member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
Maria Arsova
Oversees the operations of Event Design, partner at YT50+
Maria Arsova
Since 2006, Maria Arsova has led the day-to-day operations of Event Design, a full-service event management company, overseeing the delivery of high-profile projects from concept to completion. She is responsible for strategic planning, client relations, and team coordination, ensuring consistent quality, budget discipline, and seamless logistics across diverse formats, including corporate events, conferences, and public initiatives.
Maria is an accomplished communications and event management professional with a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Sofia University and an associate degree in Culture from the National Secondary School for Culture. Her career spans senior leadership roles across the private and public sectors, including PR and Advertising Manager at Bulgaria Air, Head of the Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Economy, and PR Manager at the pharmaceutical company Actavis.
Maria also serves on the Management Board of the Bulgarian Convention Bureau and on the Supervisory Board of the National Tourism Board Association.