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[list_item]The first class of the academy graduates today; 43 ladies will receive certificates from Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia and an honorary member of the Council of Women in Business, and Galab Donev, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy;[/list_item]
[list_item]Applications from women owners of small and medium businesses or with 2-3 years of experience at a middle management level will be accepted until April 12, 2015.[/list_item]
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The first graduates of the Leadership Academy of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria are graduating today. 43 ambitious women, representatives of small and medium businesses and ladies with experience in a managerial position, underwent training at the academy. They were selected by the Council of Women in Business after serious consideration, modules starting in June 2014.

The Leadership Academy is organized and financed by companies from the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria and is completely free for the participants. The academy’s six highly professional training courses are aimed at developing leadership skills, encouraging the initiative and entrepreneurial spirit of the modern women in expanding their business and taking on greater responsibilities. Members of the Board of the Council of Women in Business will continue to support the ladies of the first class of the academy through a coaching and mentoring program.

The certificates for the class of 2014/2015 will be presented personally by Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia and an honorary member of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, and Mr. Galab Donev, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy . This will happen tonight at a ceremony organized by the Council at the International Centre of UniCredit Bulbank.

[heading icon=”” type=”standard” size=”h4″ extra=””]Profile of the class of 2014/2015[/heading]

33% of the ladies in the first class of the Leadership Academy are developing their own business. The rest are representatives of companies. The variety of sectors of the economy employing successful women gives reason to believe that in Bulgaria there is no taboo area for the ladies. An interesting fact is that there are two representatives of the state administration, demonstrating ambition to apply good management practices in this area as well. The Leadership Academy is attended also by several managers in the insurance sector, retail and hospitality. 43% of the women are managing directors. Besides the variety of sectors, the Leadership Academy attracts women from across the country – Sofia, Yambol, Plovdiv, Targovishte, Burgas and Dobrich.

“The success of the first edition of the Leadership Academy gives us confidence that the initiative contributes to the development of women in Bulgaria and therefore we plan to continue with its second edition,” said at a press conference today Boriana Manolova, chairperson of the Council of Women in Business and CEO of Siemens Bulgaria.

“UniCredit Bulbank is preparing professional modules and trainers for the Leadership Academy and we are honored to participate in this project, which is of great benefit not only for women, but for all the men in business as well. The dialogue and the promotion of women in managerial positions should include more men,” said Andrea Casini, CEO and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Bulbank.

[heading icon=”” type=”standard” size=”h4″ extra=””]What’s New in the Leadership Academy in 2015/2016[/heading]

In the second academic year, the curriculum will include an additional module, i.e. Design Thinking, announced Tsvetanka Mincheva, member of the Board of UniCredit Bulbank and Retail Banking Manager. It will give a new perspective on the emergence and development of ideas in the team. The program will be provided by SAP. Curiously, before being offered as part of the academy’s curriculum, the ladies of the Council of Women in Business decided to study this innovative course on their own. The other modules of the academy include knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses through emotional intelligence, giving and receiving feedback, and the role of diversity management in a company, among others. Future plans include team building and interactive teamwork and cooperation learning. All courses are conducted by professional trainers. For the first time this year, the modules will be led by various companies that are members of the Council of Women and so the ladies will be able to further explore different businesses.

[heading icon=”” type=”standard” size=”h4″ extra=””]Applying for the Leadership Academy 2015/2016[/heading]

The class of 2015/2016 of the Leadership Academy can be attended by ladies with 2-3+ years of experience in a managerial position, owners or managers of small and medium businesses, and others who want to develop their leadership skills, expand their business and take on greater leadership responsibilities. Applications are accepted no later than April 12, 2015 at www.womeninbusiness.bg.

Applicants must send a cover letter and a resume. The ladies will have to explain how training in the Leadership Academy will improve their work, where they see each other in one year and to share their biggest success, either personally or professionally.

Following a careful selection by the HR department of CEZ, the shortlisted applicants will be invited to the first module of the Leadership Academy in May 2015. One-day trainings will be held in May, June, September, November 2015, January and February 2016. Members of the Council of Women in Business and the Board plan to join the training, to get to know their peers, and to continue their mentoring and coaching program.

[heading icon=”” type=”standard” size=”h4″ extra=””]About the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria[/heading]

The Council – www.womeninbusiness.bg – was created by ladies in top managerial positions with proven experience in management and corporate culture. From 13 founders, within only one year the number of board members became 41. They are representatives of various sectors, including industry, energy, hi-tech, banking, insurance and non-banking services, food industry, wine and hospitality business, the chemical industry, publishing, pharmaceuticals, and others. In the past year, the Council held a number of meetings with prominent business representatives and opinion leaders in Bulgaria, including Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, Ekaterina Zaharieva, then Deputy Prime Minister in the caretaker government of Prof. Georgi Bliznashki, Antonella Giachetti, national vice president of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Italy, and the bankers Violina Marinova and Levon Hampartzoumian. Part of the Council’s activity is related to participation in thematic events and conferences. “In 2015, we plan to take part in the two largest international forums dedicated to the leadership of women in Germany and Brazil. We will have a joint appearance with the Association of Women in Italy at EXPO 2015 in Milan and will participate in Manager Magazine’s spring conference entitled “Women – Business’ Soft Power,” said Boriana Manolova.

Members of the Board include Chairperson Boriana Manolova, Diana Maneva, Zhulieta Serafimova, Vanya Kaneva-Minkova, Valentina Dikanska, Maxim Meyer, and Zoya Paunova.

The organization is open to new members, who are prominent managers or representatives of companies with proven experience and corporate culture, who share the organization’s values.

The promotion of good management practices and the introduction of programs to encourage the professional development of women in small and medium businesses and their growth in managerial positions are among the key objectives of the Council of Women in Business, which was registered at the beginning of 2014.