Kostadin SirleshtovManaging Partner CMS Sofia
Kostadin Sirleshtov, Managing Partner CMS Sofia, has been leading the Energy, Projects and Construction (EPC) team of CMS Cameron McKenna in Sofia since 2006.
Speakers - Speeches & Presentations
Rumyana Grozeva PhDSZ REDA Executive Director
Ms. Rumyana Grozeva holds a PhD in Economics from the Institute for Economic Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Her doctorate upgrades her Master's degree from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia. She has 7 years of experience in public administration at national level. Since 2008 she has been the Executive Director of SZ REDA. Since 2018 she is a Member of the BD of IZ Zagore. Since April 2021 she has been the Coordinating Manager of the European Innovation Hub Zagore. Rumyana Grozeva is a lecturer at Sofia University and Thrakia University.
- Website
- www.szeda.eu
Judith Kirton-DarlingDeputy General Secretary of industriAll Europe
Judith Kirton-Darling is Deputy General Secretary of industriAll Europe, representing manufacturing, mining and energy workers from 38 European countries. She was formerly a Labour Member of the European Parliament for the North East of England (2014-20). Before entering parliament, she was active for 15 years within the Labour and trade union movement, notably she was elected Confederal Secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation in 2011.
- Website
- industriall-europe.eu
Ivaylo Stanchevjournalist, Kapital newspaper
Ivaylo Stanchev is a journalist with over 15 years of experience. His career began in the Banker newspaper. He worked there for 10 years and became the responsible editor of the department "EU Funds and Public Procurement". Since 2017 he has been part of the team of the Kapital newspaper as head of the Energy issues. In 2019, he became Economics Editor, and from 2021 he is Managing Editor of Politics and Economics.
Ivaylo Stanchev has won a number of journalistic awards such as "Chernorizets Khraber", "Courageous Reporter", WEB Report, Siemens CEE Press Award, "Journalist of the Municipalities", etc.
Apostol DyankovWWF Bulgaria
Апостол Дянков ръководи програма "Климат и енергия" във WWF България. Работи от повече от 15 години в областта на климата и устойчивото развитие с институциите, бизнеса и младите хора. Ментор е на младежки екипи по зелено предприемачество, работещи във въглищните райони по програмите на WWF и Junior Achievement България.
Assoc. Prof. Ralitsa Kovacheva, PhDeditor Factcheck.bg
Ralitsa Kovacheva is an associate professor at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Sofia University. She is a professor at the Faculty of Communication and Mass Media at the University of Sofia. Editor-in-chief of the independent fact-checking platform Factcheck.bg. She has many years of experience as a journalist on EU-related topics, with a focus on disinformation and anti-EU propaganda.
Ophelia Kuneva PhDMember of the Economic and Social Council
Ophelia Kuneva is a PhD in Educational Management, Master in Sociology
She is the founder of the National Youth Award for Nobility and Valour. Winner of the Academy's Leadership Award for fighting the status quo and apathy in society.
Member of the Economic and Social Council since 2021.
Konstantin Stoyanov, PhDHead of Europe Direct Center Stara Zagora
Konstantin Stoyanov is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Industrial Business and Entrepreneurship in the Faculty of Economics of Trakia University. He has a PhD on Social Enterprises in Bulgaria and continues his research on organizational models of Social Enterprises in the country and local and regional initiatives in different member-states promoting Social Entrepreneurship. He has been part of Europe Direct Stara Zagora Team for more than 12 years and its Head for the last 6 years.
Ognyan AtanasovVice President of the CITUB
Ognyan Atanasov is a graduate of geography and economics. His professional career includes working at the University of St. Kliment Ohridski on projects related to water pollution; managerial experience in the human resources field as Deputy CEO of Kremikovtzi AD, and in private business. Since 2017 he has been part of the CITUB headquarters team, and since May this year he has been elected as the Vice President of the Confederation with the portfolio of Social Protection and Occupational Health and Safety. Just Green Transition and Ecology."
Sofia SavovaSZ REDA
Sofia Savova holds a master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Hamburg, Germany with a Master's thesis on the development of the Bulgarian energy sector. With more than 6 years of experience in project management, she is currently engaged in several INTERREG Europe, Horizon Europe, Life+ and Erasmus+ projects at SZ REDA. Her interests are in the field of environmental protection, sustainable tourism and energy. Sofia is also engaged in the research team, project preparation, budgeting and communication.
Georgi SimeonovDirector Investment and EU Programmes, Municipality of Stara Zagora – Stara Zagora Hydrogen Valley
For many years Georgi Simeonov has been leading the processes for the sustainable development of the municipality related to projects and investments. In this position, he has been involved in the development of the concept for the Stara Zagora Hydrogen Valley and has represented the municipality in working meetings.
Ivan TzankovExecutive Director of AES Bulgaria
Ivan Tzankov first joined AES as part of the AES Maritza East I Project in 2006. He was later appointed as Chief Financial Officer and held the position of Commercial General Manager AES Bulgaria before assuming his current role as Manager Director. Before joining AES, Ivan worked in finance and management at Petrol Holding, Arthur Andersen and Deloitte.
Ivan Tzankov received degrees from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, USA. He is also a member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK.
Assoc. Prof. Lefteris TopaloglouScientific consultant in the Local Government Association of the Western Macedonia region
Lefteris Topaloglou is an Associate Professor at the Department of Regional Development and Cross-Border Studies at the University of Western Macedonia. Currently, he is working as a scientific consultant in the Local Government Association of the Western Macedonia region. His research experience relates to a total of 28 research projects, most of which involve multiannual European Commission funding (FP5, FP6, FP7, HORIZON, ESPON) on borders and energy transition.
Dr Sander HappaertsDG REGIO Policy Officer - Just Transition
Dr Sander Happaerts is a policy analyst on sustainable growth at the European Commission’s Directorate-General Regional and Urban Policy. He coordinates the work on the Just Transition Fund, which will invest EUR 19.2 billion to alleviate the social and economic impacts of the climate transition in the 2021-2027 period.
Previously, he was responsible for environmental and climate issues, working with other Commission services to integrate environmental objectives into cohesion policy investments across the EU. From 2017 to 2019, Sander was a member of the Young Talent Network of ESPAS (European Strategy and Policy Analysis System), an inter-institutional EU project looking at medium and long-term trends facing or relating to the European Union.
Before joining the Commission in 2014, Sander worked as a research manager and lecturer on sustainability transitions and environmental policy at KU Leuven (Belgium). His PhD research on regional policies for sustainable development was awarded in the 2012 Thesis Competition of the European Committee of the Regions.
With degrees in linguistics and international relations from KU Leuven, Sander did an internship at the Belgian Permanent Representation to the UN in New York in 2006, where he followed Security Council affairs.
Lora LyubenovaChief Expert Economic and Social Affairs Directorate, ESC;
Lora Lyubenova is a chief expert at Economic and Social Council. She has experience in social policy, youth policies, European and international cooperation and ect.
Lora is a PhD Students at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Her research topic is “Political actors and interest groups, which influenced and shaped the European Pillar of Social Rights”.
Lora has 4 years Political Science Bachelor degree at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridshi”. At that time, her main research interests are the transition political and economic systems in the Eastern European countries. She is Erasmus student at Copenhagen University when she researches the development of women labour market in Denmark.
Lora obtains European Master in Women's and Gender History. She has done her research work at two universities part of the master programme - Vienna University in Austria and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in Bulgaria. She focuses her research of development of women's labour market during 20th century mainly in Austria and Bulgaria. Her master's thesis is „Bulgarian Women’s Movement and The Development of Women’s Labour Market (1901 - 1944) “.
Viktoria TabakovaYouth Engagement Coordinator at WWF Bulgaria
Viktoria Tabakova is the Youth Engagement Coordinator at WWF Bulgaria. For herself, she says that in the last two years she has been fortunate to support and encourage young people on their path to a greener future.
Vera PetkanchinJunior Achievement Bulgaria
Vera is a firm believer in volunteering and thrives in a team where leaders do not demand recognition for what they’ve done. She is deeply interested in sharing and collaboration. Through her work at JA Bulgaria, Vera is on a mission to inspire young Bulgarians to be sensitive to the environmental and social challenges around them and passionate and entrepreneurial in looking for solutions. Her main strengths are project development, project management, and educational curriculum and content design.