The Future of Work Summit: Leadership, Talent and Technologies

Nadia Vitadilis

VP of People at Remote

Nadia is the VP of People at Remote, where she works on all things people and continues to enable Remote as a great place to work. She is exceptionally passionate about the onboarding journey in a remote-first environment and creating a self-enabled culture to ensure everyone is set up for success. She came from GitLab, leading People Operations and Experience, People Engineering, and International Expansion and helped scale GitLab from 75 to 1300 employees.

Dan Schawbel

Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence

New York Times bestselling author Dan Schawbel is Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, a research and advisory firm helping HR adapt to trends, drive performance, and prepare for the future. Long considered a go-to authority on HR, talent, and leadership, Dan has spent his career researching and advising on workplace and career success.
As a globally recognized researcher, interviewer, and bestselling author, Dan is on a mission to equip people, leaders, and their organizations with the workplace intelligence that will save them time, money and allow them to compete for the future. His research is used by the biggest companies in the world, like Oracle and American Express, to make intelligent workplace decisions that lead to better talent, higher retention, and organizational growth.
Through dozens of studies, he has exposed some of the biggest work trends of our time, such as the rise of millennials, the skills gap, the 4-day workweek, and the burnout epidemic, which have been highlighted as cover stories in the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine and HR Magazine.

Benjamin Laker

Professor of Leadership and Postgraduate Research Director at Henley Business School

Benjamin Laker is a Professor of Leadership and Postgraduate Research Director at Henley Business School. 

His empirical inquiry, which resides in best-selling books and world-leading journals, generates millions of reads and implications for society extensively published by The Economist, The Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He has consequently received perpetual invitation to address political party conferences, inform government policy, advise multinationals such as Apple and American Express, and appear recurrently on BBC and Bloomberg news broadcasts including Newsnight and Surveillance.

Jason King

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Telenor Bulgaria

Jason King is a senior executive with over 20 years of international leadership, transforming corporate and private equity-backed telecoms, media and digital technology firms to deliver long-term growth and profitability.
Jason is currently Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Telenor Bulgaria. He previously served as Group Commercial Director at telecommunications and digital services provider VEON. Among several roles in his career, he has had held Chief Marketing Officer positions at UPC and T-Mobile.
He led business transformations, restructuring and expansion programs and conducted major development projects in numerous challenging markets across Europe.

Ognian Trajanov

Owner and CEO, TechnoLogica

Ognian Trajanov is the owner and CEO of Bulgarian IT company TechnoLogica. He is an initiator and creator of TechnoMagicLand - the Interactive Center for Science and Technology which won the Investor in Education Award at the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum and the Best Charity Program award of the Bulgarian Charity Forum. Mr. Trajanov has initiated and managed the program "Engineering Education – Solid and Working", through which 10 universities have modernized Computer Aided Engineering education.
Ognian Trajanov is Chairman of the Bulgarian Network of the UN Global Compact whose main priority is education. Under his leadership was prepared the National Action Plan for the European Pact4Youth, an initiative of CSR Europe. As a Chairman of BAIT, he initiated and received support from the IT industry and the Ministry of Education and Science for starting the national program "IT business teaches", which outgrown in "Business teaches"
Graduated and post-graduated from Sofia Technical University. Working experience as a scientific researcher in the area of Artificial Intelligence.  Ognian Trajanov is a speaker at numerous events focused on leadership, innovations, education, and corporate social responsibility.
 

Maria Atanasova

Senior Director of the Global Business Partner function at Progress

Maria Atanasova is Senior Director of the Global Business Partner function at Progress. Her team is responsible for the strategic partnership of the People team with the executive leadership team and for creating tailor-made people programs to support the business strategic objectives. Maria has extensive experience in the full spectrum of HR management, including with the people and culture side of an M&A process from due diligence to building retention and integration plans. She has been part of Progress since 2010.

Juan Corral

Human Resources Lead for Regional Functions @ Europe Operating unit The Coca-Cola Company

Senior Human Resources executive with 20 years of experience in Fast-moving Consumer Goods companies such as Kellogg’s, PepsiCo Foods and The Coca-Cola Company across Latin America and Europe.
Currently Human Resources Lead for Regional Functions @ Europe Operating unit in The Coca-Cola Company.
Passionate about business transformation and emotional capital to enable a diverse, inclusive and multicultural working environment. 
Specialized in talent management, culture transformation,  organizational development and people planning.

David Bizer

Founder and CEO of Talent Fountain

David Bizer is the Founder and CEO of Talent Fountain, a boutique consulting firm focused on talent acquisition, talent management and startup culture. David’s experience originates at the very epicenter of web technology, starting his career at Netscape working with Marc Andreessen and the team which essentially launched the internet to the masses. David was the first recruiter at Google in Europe, building out the organization from 100 to over 5000 employees in 7 years. Since 2010, David has collaborated with over 100 emerging startups throughout Europe to scale their human capital.
 

Rada Yosifova

Human Resources Director, Raiffeisenbank Bulgaria

Rada Yosifova is leading the Human Resources function in Raiffeisenbank (Bulgaria) since 2013. Her main responsibilities in the bank are related to the strategic people management in the organization. Ms. Yosifova has more than 10 years managerial experience in the sphere of Human Resources, gained predominantly in the financial industry: financial audit and consulting services (PwC); insurance (Bulstrad – Vienna Insurance Group); and now banking (Raiffeisenbank). Rada Yosifova has graduated in Psychology from Sofia University; she has a qualification in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching (UK) and has graduated the HR Strategic Leadership Program at William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan. Rada Yosifova was awarded HR Manager / Director of the Year 2019 by Bulgarian Association of People Management.
 

Atanas Raykov

Senior Director EMENA at Rakuten Viber

Results-oriented. Driven by curiosity. Problem solver.
He is senior business professional and a specialist in go-to-market strategies with over 16 years of experience in the fields of business development, customer lifecycle management, digital/mobile marketing and product strategy. His strong analytical skills and financial education, have let him successfully plan and execute complex strategies both in terms of growth and profitability for the businesses that he is responsible for.
Currently, as Senior Director EMENA he is responsible for leveraging Viber's vast reach and exposure opportunities across 40+ countries in the three regions to build a strong eco-system and partnership network in order to drive increased customer growth, user engagement and revenue opportunities. Our local marketing efforts are focused on driving user engagement and MAU growth across our priority countries through marketing, PR and business development initiatives.
In his other role at Viber - as Head of Global Telecom Partnerships - he is responsible for the forging of strategic partnerships with the leading telecom groups around the world to create winning B2C propositions based on Viber's cutting-edge technology.
From 2009 to 2015 while being responsible for the commercial strategy of VIVACOM's MNO his business unit managed to consistently achieve the highest customer and revenue growth rates on the market. They've also transformed how the company is forging partnerships with third parties and OTT service providers so that a powerful eco-system was established.
His is an ardent believer in the immense power of breakthrough ideas to bring lasting improvement to the lives of people around the world. This is the reason why he has been engaged with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem as a volunteer, mentor and consultant to organisations ranging from individual start-ups to seed funds and angel investor clubs.

Eva Makedonska

HR Director, Chaos

Eva Makedonska is the HR Director of Chaos, focused on the organisational culture, long term people strategy and best in class employee experience. Eva joined Chaos after many years of work within outsourcing industry, being focused on creativity in HR and establishment of welcoming and productive working environments. Her legacy in the industry relates with creation of big outsourcing units of international companies in Bulgaria and abroad, adoption of electronic services for HR, remote onboarding and administration and also with her true believe in the potential of Bulgarian people. 
 

Emilia Kraynova

Founder & CEO, Communication Academy

Emilia Ilieva is a master trainer on empathy, non-violent communication (NVC) and emotional intelligence. In her 20 years of expertise on his field she worked in over 40 countries designing and delivering programs for individuals, teams and companies.  She believes that empathy is the most needed skill in our times both at home and at work. Recently she distilled her extensive experience into the video collection  "The HeArt of Human Connectedness"

Desi Stoyanova

Journalist, bTV Media Group

Desi Stoyanova is a journalist with more than 20 years of media experience. She has spent the bulk of her career at BTV. She was political reporter at bTV News for 5 years and has been hosting "Before noon" late morning show with Alexander Kadiev for 9 years now. In the break between the two jobs, she worked in lifestyle magazines and gave birth to her twin sons, who are already fifth graders. She has over 5,000 hours of live broadcasts and tens of thousands of interviews behind her. Recently, she has been eager to devote time and energy to teaching people how to speak in front of the media so that they can attract attention and be heard.

Ventsislav Kasamski

Business Development Director for Modis Tech Delivery Centers in Europe

Ventsislav Kasamski is Business Development Director for Modis Tech Delivery Centers in Europe. His main focus is related to the development of the company services, design and implementation of complex outsourcing solutions and attracting new client out of the 4 delivery centers of Modis in Europe.
In parallel with this role, he leads the business line BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), one of the fastest growing verticals of the company in Bulgaria.
During the last 12 years of his professional career, Ventsislav has participated in the management and development of strategic projects in Bulgaria and abroad. In 2019, he played a key role in building a complex outsourcing solution and negotiations to attract one of the largest Modis customers in Europe.

Rene Tomova

Design Partner at Eleven Ventures

Rene Tomova is a Design Partner at Eleven Ventures and a Head of Eleven's Design Studio. She has been instrumental in conceptualizing and kicking-off Eleven's Design Studio -  the first one in the early stage venture capital industry in the region of Southeast Europe - which has a fundamental role in supporting startups' growth and scaling up, providing guidance in the area of strategic positioning, product development and market fit, service design etc. Rene is among the local pioneers in the design thinking field, bringing the concept of the human centered design closer both to the startups and large and smaller enterprises, helping them to navigate the digital-first world and achieve better business results.
She is a founder of the design thinking and innovation agency Creative Shower and the person behind Moving Forward by Design - a masterclass series for learning through analogies, where established practitioners share their knowledge to founders, CEOs and people managers. Rene has 15+ years of senior management experience in the area of Marketing, CRM, Loyalty, gradually building a successful track record in the corporate world, which peaked at the Retail Director position at A1.

Tsvetanka Mintcheva

CEO, UniCredit Bulbank

Tzvetanka Mintcheva started her career in UniCredit 20 years ago, in Retail Division of Bulbank Bulgaria, moving through a wide range of roles during her early years, from various execution and managerial functions within the Retail network and Head Office team. Since 2007 Tzvetanka has been involved in the coordination and development of alternative distribution channels, being recognized for her significant contribution and the introduction of innovations in Retail and other areas of the bank. 
In September 2013, she was appointed as a Head of Retail Division, and a Member of the Management Board.
In 2017 she  was appointed as a Head of Global Banking Services Division within UniCredit Bulbank successfully implementing multiple strategic and transformation projects.
From March 2020 till June 2021 she holds the position of Deputy CEO of UniCredit Bank Romania. Tzvetanka Mintcheva has a degree in economics and an MBA in international business.
Since September 2021 she is a member of the Management Board of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria.

Albena Todorova

Sales Manager The Body Shop, Textura, Duka

Sales and HR manager for The Body Shop, Textura and Duka Bulgaria since 2010. Responsible for the selection of staff and their introductory training. Conducts periodic trainings for the teams of The Body Shop, in order to motivate and enrich with new knowledge about the product range and techniques for successful sales. She graduated deaf and elementary pedagogy at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski "and has 10 years of experience as a teacher.

Aurélia Py

HR lead for the Western and Southern Region at Uber

Aurélia Py is the HR lead for the Western and Southern Region at Uber defining the HR strategy for the region and supporting all Regional General Managers and General Managers.
Aurélia has acquired a broad-based knowledge of HR in 21 years of experience in diverse types of international companies (Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Alten) as Senior HR Business Partner, Head of Talent Management, Learning and Development and Recruitment Partner where she enabled shaping organizations for the future through strong collaboration and managed key HR projects as innovative talent programs, leadership model, performance system & learning structure.
She holds a Master’s in Human Resources and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economy, from Paris X University and Paris 1 La Sorbonne.
Married, she has two children, Lucie and Noé. She loves travelling the world and the sliding sports such as figure skating, snowboarding and wakeboarding. Epicurean, she likes finding new restaurants or bars to spend time with family and friends. Her mantra is inspired by a quote from Cecil B. DeMille: "Creativity is a drug I cannot live without"
 

Denitza Borisova

Head of HR and Legal Department of Festo Production EOOD

Mrs. Borisova has more than 20 years of professional experience in the field of HRM in big multinational companies from several busines sectors: pharma, FMCG, management consulting, high tech, and manufacturing. During the last 10 years she leads the HR and Legal functions of Festo in Bulgaria – leading German company in the field of industrial automation. From 2005 Ms. Borisova teaches Human Resources Management, and later – People and Organizations in International University College, Sofia. She holds Master degrees in Law, Business Administration and International Business, and she is a mother of two.

Stefano Pichiecchio

Central Eastern Europe Commercial HR Lead at Microsoft

Stefano Pichiecchio has 20 years of experience in Human Resources and Talent Management across different industries and geographical regions.
He is passionate about the way talent and technology blend in empowering organizations to be more competitive, supporting economic growth and improving people's lives.
In 2018 joins and becomes part of the Tech Industry Leading HR Strategy of Commercial, Technical Sales and Marketing for Microsoft across Central and Eastern Europe.
He is responsible for HR strategy deployment for Digital Consulting, Technical Sales, Customer Success, Marketing & Operations organizations in 32 Countries for Microsoft Customers and Partner Solutions organization.
Began his career in Retail and Fashion as a Talent Recruiter in France and the UK, then moving into HR Client Management roles to become HRBP, and then HR Director in multiple businesses in General Electric across Italy and Europe gaining experience through Financial Services, Corporate Banking, High Tech Manufacturing, and Software Services.

Svetla Stoyanova

HR Expert at CENTILLION

I’ve been working at CENTILLION for almost 15 years, going through different positions. My activities are in several areas- selection, induction of new employees, health and safety, people training and development, employer branding, projects for innovation and digitalization of various processes. In addition to activities directly related to people, I’m also a certified internal auditor for the standards by which our company operates- 9001, 13485, 14001. I studied at UNWE, Marketing and Management.

Antoaneta Georgieva

Human Resources Director, Geotechmin

Antoaneta Georgieva joined the team of Geotechmin in 2020 as a Human Resources Director. Her main focuses are on the strategic development of the Group’s Human Resources policies – attracting and retaining talented students and professionals, designing and implementing onboarding programs, developing employees’ competencies and performance, caring for and anticipating employees’ needs, HR software upgrading and optimization, developing the organizational culture and internal communications, etc.
During her career Antoaneta adopted various senior management positions in which she has gained broad experience in leading different teams of professionals – real and virtual. She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of human resources, change management, strategy and organizational development, acquisitions and business integrations, program and project management, administration. Antoaneta holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Strategic Management and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management and Development from Sofia University and New Bulgarian University.

Angel Spasov

Training Lead, launchlabs

Dimitar Ivanov

Sales and Operations Director of Adecco Bulgaria

Dimitar Ivanov has been the Sales and Operations Director of Adecco Bulgaria since the beginning of 2020. He has been part of the company for almost 7 years. He is head of the Sales and Key Accounts Management teams in Adecco. Dimitar has over 25 years of experience in the sales of goods and services, as well as in the field of Field Marketing and has a full overview of the Bulgarian labor market. He graduated in Bulgarian Philology and History at the University of Veliko Tarnovo "St. St. Cyril and Methodius".

Kristina Petrova

HR specialist, Dynamo Software

With almost 6 years of experience in an international IT company, today Kristina is already part of Dynamo Software’s team. In her role as a HR Specialist, she supports the company's workflow in various areas, including attracting new talents, developing their potential, keeping the team spirit and treasure up the corporate values of Dynamo Software.