The mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova handed the graduation certificates to the participants in the Leadership Academy of Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria. 41 women, representing small and medium enterprises or occupying middle management levels, graduated Leadership Academy 2015/2016.

“I welcome the Council for the fact that by investing in the personal development you ensure sustainability. People are the most important asset of every sector. Your successes in management are important for the business in Sofia and in Bulgaria“, Yordanka Fandakova said during the official graduation ceremony. Sofia’s mayor is the patron of Leadership academy 2015/2016.

„After the successful start in 2014 the Academy established itself as a respected platform for encouraging leadership among women. The contribution to that belongs to the trainers as well as to the participants themselves, because they invested time, energy and efforts in order to master new practices, skills and knowledge, which, I believe, would be useful for them in the future“, Dr. Eng. Boryana Manolova, chairperson of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria and CEO of Siemens Bulgaria said.

She announced that in response to the great interest the Council extends the academy’s format with new trainings targeting both participants in the initiative and other people, incl. in Business Etiquette, Personal Finances Management, etc. „A convincing proof that we are on the right way is the Investor in Human Capital award we received for the Leadership Academy from the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum“, Ms Manolova said.
The MEP Maria Gabriel, honorary member of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, sent special greeting to the Leaders Academy’s participants.

„There will be a new edition of the Academy. The Council will announce the criteria and conditions for applying for 2016/2017 in few weeks. The last year’s competition was very strong and we had 5 applicants for each position“, Tsvetanka Mincheva, member of the Managing board of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, announced.
The Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria continues working on other projects. The fortcoming second edition of National Traineship Initiative will allow hundreds of young people to show their qualities and innovative thinking.
International conference Global Female Leaders Forum (gwlforum.womeninbusiness.bg) is also in process of preparation; it will be organized by the Council in May under the patronage of Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO and official candidate of Bulgaia for UN General Secretary.

„We believe the forum will not only gather in Sofia part of the global elite but will also turn into significant starting point for further discussions and actions for gender equality“, Boryana Manolova commented. Among the quests who have already confirmed their participation are Irina Bokova, Kolinda Grabar – Kitarovich, president of Croatia, Sheikh Hasina Vazed, Prime minister of Bangladesh, Leila Zerrougui, special representative of UN general secretary for the children and armed conflicts, Temenuzhka Petkova, minister of energetics of Bulgaria, Renee Byer, Pulitzer prize winner for photojournalism and other distinguished women from the region and worldwide.