Future of Work Summit

Prof. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve

Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science, University of Oxford

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve is Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford where he also directs the Wellbeing Research Centre. He is best known for his insights into the relationship between productivity and wellbeing and currently leads the world’s largest study on workplace wellbeing. His research was selected among "The Management Ideas that Mattered Most" by Harvard Business Review.

Simone Stolzoff

Journalist & Author "The Good Enough Job"

Simone Stolzoff is an author, designer, and workplace expert from San Francisco. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO, his work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and many other publications. He is a graduate of Stanford and The University of Pennsylvania.

Ani Filipova

Change Advisory, Northern Illinois University

Starting her career in a small Bulgarian bank, Ani Filipova has risen to the upper echelon in the global banking industry as the Chief Operating Officer of Treasury and Trade Solution - a multi-billion business at Citibank Asia, covering 16 countries, two of them India and China. During her tenure, Citi won Best Digital Bank and Best Transactional Bank numerous times. Ani previously had numerous Leadership in EMEA. In 2021, she decided to leave the banking world, pivoting towards a portfolio career as an entrepreneur,  an advisor on transformation and digitalisation, NED, an investor, a career coach and a podcaster. Ani represents Northern Illinois University (NIU) for Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria, NIU offers an Executive MBA at local prices and certified courses in AI, Transformation, and Organisational Behaviour.

Tom Hayes

Executive Director, BEERG

Tom Hayes is the Executive Director of BEERG, the European division of HR Policy Global, based in Washington DC. BEERG/HR Policy global is an information sharing network for major multinational companies, specialising in labour and employee relations issues.

Dr. Shirley Knowles

Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Progress

In her role as Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Dr. Shirley Knowles is dedicated to cultivating a culture of inclusion, diversity and belonging so Progress people are empowered to be their best. Shirley sees her work at Progress as equipping our people to achieve by tapping into the richness of diverse human experiences.
A transformational leader and educator, Shirley strives to positively impact the way people think, interact and collaborate across cultural, generational, racial, gender, ethnic, socioeconomic, religious and educational lines. She is a crucial voice influencing our policies, practices, and indeed, everything we do. Shirley further helps Progress foster an environment where people are free to learn, be heard and have the difficult—but respectful—conversations that make us stronger. This approach nurtures growth and has brought Shirley noteworthy success, most recently as the Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Homesite Insurance. There, she built the D&I practice from the ground up, adding to prior successes in cultural diversity education at Le Cordon Bleu and corporate communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Shirley’s impressive educational background includes her doctor of education in organizational leadership from Northeastern University, a master degree in leadership studies from North Central College and dual master degrees from Simmons College in gender/cultural Studies, as well as communications management. Shirley earned her bachelor degree in communications from Marquette University, and a certificate in multicultural leadership from North Central College. She regularly supports a range of causes, including Programa Velasco, a nonprofit helping women and children in El Salvador.

Valentina Kozhuharova

Human resources manager, SiteGround

Dr. Patrick Guggenberger

Partner at McKinsey & Company

Dr. Patrick Guggenberger is a Partner in McKinsey’s Vienna Office and a leader in our European Consumer Goods Sector and Organization Practice. Patrick advises consumer-facing companies on a broad array of topics, helping leaders pursue organization design and operating model shifts that boost performance and unlock new sources of growth.

Maria Stoeva

Head of Sales and Business Development at ManpowerGroup Bulgaria

Мaria Stoeva is Head of Sales and Business Development at ManpowerGroup Bulgaria, a prominent leader in HR solutions on both a global and domestic scale, and Country Lead of Assert International Bulgaria,  an international consulting company focused on the analysis, assessment and development of people and organizations.

Committed to her personal and professional mission, Maria is dedicated to guiding businesses through the transition from traditional practices of the past to the innovative landscape of the future. Her primary focus lies in collaboratively shaping new definitions and realities surrounding the concept of work in the 21st century.

With a panoramic perspective of the job market, the Manpower Bulgaria team contributes to the growth of numerous organizations and the advancement of thousands of individuals, thereby positioning themselves at the forefront of HR advancement. An avid follower of industry trends, Maria dedicates herself to translating HR trends into practical, actionable concepts tailored to the regional market.

Ryne A. Sherman, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer, Hogan Assessment Systems

Ryne A. Sherman, Ph.D., is the Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessment Systems (www.hoganassessments.com ), global company providing data-driven personality insights for maximizing organizational effectiveness. Prior to this he was an associate professor of psychology at Florida Atlantic University and Texas Tech University for seven years, teaching personality, social, and IO psychology. He received his B.A. magna cum laude in Psychology and History from Monmouth College and his Ph.D. in Personality / Social Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. Dr. Sherman is an expert on personality assessment, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. He is co-host of the Science of Personality Podcast which exposes listeners to the latest research on these topics. His research on personality and its interaction with everyday situations was awarded federal support from the National Science Foundation. He has received numerous awards for his research including being names a "Rising Star" in 2016 by the Association for Psychological Science and a SAGE Young Scholars award in 2018.

Tanya Koseva-Boshova

Managing director and partner at Lion's Head

Inge Van Belle

Co-Founder, Herculean Alliance

Based as an entrepreneur in Dubai and Belgium, Inge has developed a passion for all things employee engagement, leadership and diversity. She’s the Co-Founder of Herculean Alliance and Partner with Stanton Chase. Inge is also the author of the book "Employee Engagement, what else". Her favourite quote is: "We rise by lifting others", summing up her determination to make the world a better place, one employer at a time.

Yulia Stark

President at the EWA European Women's Association

Yulia Stark is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, international keynote speaker, board member, and investor with over 17 years of experience. She has a proven track record of building successful business ecosystems by forging strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships across the globe. Based in Brussels, the heart of Europe, Yulia has leveraged her location to connect the East and West, creating valuable opportunities for her network of investors, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and government representatives. Yulia's career began in private banking, where she managed investment portfolios for high net-worth individuals. Her passion for entrepreneurship and gender equality led her to found the European Women's Association, through which she helps companies scale internationally. Yulia is set to launch a Gender Lens Investment Fund in the near future, with a specific focus on supporting female founders in the technology sector. Her deep commitment to empowering women through education, entrepreneurship, and the GLI approach drives her mission to ensure that women have the financial resources and support they need to succeed in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Elena Drecheva

Managing Director, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Bulgaria Ltd.

Elena Drecheva is Managing Director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Bulgaria. Her professional career accounts for more than 22 years’ experience in the IT sector. She has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and International Relations at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". She has multiple certifications in sales, marketing, design thinking and project management. In 2017, she graduated from a leadership program at Stanford University. In 2006, she was awarded "Youngest Female Entrepreneur" by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, and in 2017, she was among the ten finalists of the prestigious "Manager of the Year" competition of "Manager" magazine. She was the first employee of Konica Minolta Bulgaria in 2005 and since then she has continuously developed a competent team of talents, because she believes that this is the most important factor for the company success. Proof of the overall approach to team development is the award for Top employer in Bulgaria for 2023 in the ranking of the Top Employers Institute.

Dr. Stefan Mauersberger

Partner & Regional Leader for Kincentric, Central, Southern & Eastern Europe

Dr. Stefan Mauersberger is a Partner and Regional Leader for Kincentric and is responsible for bringing the full value of Kincentric to multinational clients in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe. With more than 17 years of experience, Stefan has led numerous projects and has the proven expertise to develop and implement strategies for HR transformation, employee experience, talent management, leadership, organizational development, culture change initiatives, and many more. As an account leader and an executive consultant, Stefan supports companies in utilizing the power of their people and successfully accelerating business growth and HR transformation.

Petar Torneff

Managing Director ATC Accenture Bulgaria

Petar has been working in the IT field for 20 years. He graduated from the Technical University of Varna with a degree in Computer Science and became a Harvard Business School graduate after completing the university's Program for Leadership Development in 2015. In 2020 Petar Torneff successfully finished his studies at the EMBA Program of the American University in Bulgaria.
Petar Torneff is a member of the Management Board of AIBEST. He is actively involved in various transformative educational projects and is dedicated to the improvement of the leadership potential in Bulgaria. With his work, he contributes to the development of strategies and innovative solutions in cloud technologies, cybersecurity, the online marketplace, and the implementation of policies related to cultural, age, and gender diversity in companies.

Yana Panayotova

People Partner Lead, Payhawk

Yana Panayotova assumes the role of People Partner Lead at Payhawk. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Sofia University and began her career in IT recruitment at various fintech companies. Over the past two years, she has played a key role in Payhawk’s growth from 28 to 280 employees. Her focus has shifted to a strategic role, overseeing processes related to onboarding, employee retention, performance management, compensation and benefits, training and development, and employer branding for the R&D teams.

Savina Dineva

Business Development Manager, Sb Accounting & Consulting

Savina Dineva is a Business Development Manager at Sb Accounting & Consulting, a leading provider of Payroll, E-Labour file and Accounting services in Bulgaria.

Yordanka Kostova

Talent Management and Employer Branding Director, Postbank 

Yordanka Kostova is Director Talent Management & Employer Branding at Postbank with more than 10 years of experience in the banking sector. She is American University in Bulgaria graduate with degree in Business Administration and Economy. Her career path is entirely in the financial and banking field, human resources in particular with focus on talent acquisition and employer branding. She works actively in the direction of the merger of Postbank with other banks. Yordanka Kostova is an initiator of key projects with focus on the contribution and development of employees, innovative technology application for talent attraction and original approach to the presentation of the employer brand.

Lora Ivanova

Enterprise Account Executive, Google Cloud

Plamen Tsekov

Co-founder, Gigs Remote

Plamen Tsekov is co-founder of Gigs Remote – a platform connecting IT freelancers from Eastern Europe with companies around the world. He is also Endeavour entrepreneur, as well as a Board member and Chairman of ScaleFocus – the largest Bulgarian-owned IT services company.
With over 20 years of experience in the IT service industry, he has successfully built strong customer-focused IT companies and fast-growing organizations. Some of his past roles include Board member of AIBEST - Association for Innovation, Business Excellence, Services and Technology, and AIBEST representative at the Global Technology & Business Services Council.
Plamen is a recognized leader with a strong stand and passion for innovation in business and IT organizations. With his GigsRemote team, he is on a mission of promoting remote work and boosting the gig economy in the Central and Eastern European IT community.

Tania Dimitrova

Human Resources Manager, Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia

Tania Dimitrova is a Human Resources Professional, Business Trainer & Coach, Organizational Psychologist and Certified Behavior Analyst.
She has an extensive ‘hospitality’ career in supporting employers and owners in Europe, Asia, and Africa, achieving their goals, by focusing on personal and professional development of their management and line staff.
Having experience as a Regional Human Resources Director for Eastern Europe for the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, she is a person with broad experience in recruitment & selection, compensation & benefits, training & development, transfers & succession planning, employee & labor relations.
As Director Human Resources for Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia, Tania implements her broad professional knowledge and life experience to support hotel’s team face changes and challenges in hospitality, based on the company values "Love.Care.Share".

Patrick Bernard

General Manager, Latecoere Bulgaria

Gergana Vassileva

Director, London School of Public Relations Bulgaria

Director, London School of Public Relations Bulgaria, Managing Partner International Business, Contipso

Iva Djambazova

Head of Human Experience Management, Digital Lights

Iva Djambazova has more than 20 years of management and HR experience in large international organizations such as the British Council and SAP. Her desire to share this experience and contribute to the well-being of people and businesses across industries and on a larger scale is the inspiration for her current role as a Digital HR transformation consultant.

Today, Iva leads a Digital Lights team of HR and technical experts who daily help companies to be more efficient and achieve better results with truly engaged, motivated, supported and highly valued people. Everyone's great experience from applying for a job to leaving is a core focus in the company culture that put People first.

Digital Lights is a technology company, SAP Gold Partner, awarded with SAP Recognized Expertise and SAP Gold Quality Award. Focused on the implementation of complete HR digital transformations, it relies on the best HR business and innovative practices.

Zdravko Peshakov

Managing Director, SAP Bulgaria

Zdravko Peshakov is the Managing Director of SAP Bulgaria. He is a graduate of the SAP International Academy in Palo Alto, California. Before heading SAP Bulgaria, he held the position of "Sales Manager" for the Cloud Digital Supply Chain portfolio of SAP in South-East Europe, and then he was the Commercial Director for the private sector in Bulgaria.

Maria Gergova-Bengtsson

Owner and CEO, United Partners

With over 26 years of experience in the communications industry, I am the owner and CEO of United Partners, a leading PR and marketing agency in EMEA. I am also the co-founder of United Partners Public Affairs, a division that provides strategic counsel and advocacy services to clients across various sectors and markets. In addition, I am the founder of UPN, an international network of PR and marketing agencies united for effortless growth and delivering multi-national PR and marketing solutions. I am passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and social impact, and I have been involved in several initiatives and organizations that support and empower entrepreneurs, such as the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, the Entrepreneurs' Organization, and the International Public Relations Association. I have also served as the chairman of the Bulgarian Association of PR Agencies and the president of the International Public Relations Association. My core competencies include communications strategy, marketing communications, new media, content marketing, and public affairs. I am always eager to learn, collaborate, and contribute to the development and growth of the communications profession and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Anna Gabrovska

Head of People & Culture, Philip Morris Bulgaria

Peter Roebben

Chairman of the Country Team of KBC Group for Bulgaria, Country Manager of KBC Group for Bulgaria, Chairman of the Management Board of UBB, CEO of UBB

Peter Roebben is Country Manager of KBC Group in Bulgaria, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of UBB. Until his appointment at these positions, he was the Chief Executive Officer of KBC Bank in Ireland.

Peter Roebben started his career in 1992 as an account officer Corporate Banking for Kredietbank (now KBC) in London. From 1994 untill 1998 he was Director of the Iberia Representative Office in Madrid. After one year in Brussels as account manager for the group’s Multinationals Division, he became General Manager Corporate Banking in the Paris branch in 1999. From 2005 untill 2010 he was Executive Director Corporate Banking at CSOB Bank in the Czech Republic.

Between 2010 and 2017 he served as Senior Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee of K&H Bank & Insurance Hungary. Later in 2017 he becomes Senior General Manager Group Credit Risk at KBC Group’s Head Office in Brussels. In 2019, Peter Roebben was appointed Chief Executive Officer of KBC Bank in Ireland, which he held until his current appointment as Country Manager of KBC Group in Bulgaria, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of UBB.

Peter Roebben has graduated from the University of Leuven, Belgium with a master degree in law. Later he has obtained an MBA from Vlerick Business School, Belgium.

He is fluent in Dutch, French, English, Spanish and German.
 

Miglena Ouzounova-Tsekova

Senior Human Resources Director and member of the Leadership Team, А1 Bulgaria

Miglena Ouzounova-Tsekova has more than 20 years of experience in human resources management. She has been part of the HR division of A1 since 2002 when she joined as Head of Recruitment and Selection. In 2007 she took the role of Human Resources Director and since June 2016 she is Senior HR Director and member of the Leadership Team of the company. In her current role she is responsible on strategic level for people management – organizational design, talent acquisition and development, and employee engagement and wellbeing, as well as operationally for all HR processes related to employee lifecycle.

Miglena has a Master’s degree in English philology from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", she has specialized Mass Communications and has an MBA degree from Erasmus University, the Netherlands. She is certified in Strategic HR Management by Cornell University, USA. She has graduated a Leadership Coaching Program at Columbia Business School, USA. 

Anna Pancheva

Director People and Technology, Vellea Global

Anna Pancheva Is Director People and Technology at Vellea Global with responsibilities for all aspects of People operations and Software development on a group level for over 1600 people. She has over 15 years of experience developing and leading HR teams in industries, such as FSMG, online payments and production. She is passionate about change management, process improvement and developing a culture that enables employees to perform, in accordance both to company’s objectives and their personal ethics. In her current role, Anna leads transformation projects, digitalization aiming to help managing organizational performance upwards and CSR activities, based on company corporate values.