The most long-term and sustainable program of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, organized jointly with UniCredit Bulbank, recognized female entrepreneurs across the country

The mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, personally gave the certificates of completion to the participants

For the eighth consecutive year, women from all over the country completed the most successful program of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB), organized jointly with UniCredit Bulbank, the Succeed in Bulgaria leadership academy. At a special ceremony last week, 39 participants received their certificates for the successful completion of the training, preparing them for their future success professionally and personally. Within eight months, the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria provided an opportunity for women to take part in a series of free trainings and expand their leadership, presentation and communication skills.

“I’ve always believed that we learn throughout our entire life, and the eighth consecutive successful edition of this program once again convinces me of that. I am sure that even after the completion of the Leadership Academy, each of the participants will continue their development. I believe that we give all the women valuable advice, many practical guidelines and topics for reflection, which will be useful for them in the future as well”, said Dr. Eng. Boryana Manolova, Chair of the Board of CWBB and CEO of Siemens in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Ukraine, and added: “I am proud to say that for these eight years the Academy has established itself as the most successful program of the Council and as the preferred choice of women entrepreneurs in Bulgaria to upgrade their skills. Every year we receive more and more applications from all over the country, which makes us extremely happy and further motivates us to develop and upgrade the program.”

“Over the years, we have given certificates to over 300 participants from all business fields,” said Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia and patron of the initiative, who personally congratulated the women on their success. She encouraged them to continue to be so active and by getting involved in the social and economic life of the country to contribute to its overall success. “Fortunately, Sofia and Bulgaria, as part of Europe, have adopted the democracy path of values ​, and these principles are key for the status of women in society and for their equal access to education and career development. Leaders are those who are not afraid of problems and even criticism and can find a solution and defend the truth,” Yordanka Fandakova summarized.

The ceremony also revealed the start of the next, ninth edition of the Leadership Academy, the application for which will begin very soon and will be officially announced.

The Succeed in Bulgaria leadership academy program is aimed at women in business – mid-level managers as well as owners of small and medium-sized businesses who want to upgrade their skills and develop their entrepreneurial spirit. The trainings are completely free thanks to the member companies of the Council, and give the participants the opportunity to engage in new challenges, develop their leadership potential, get to know their strengths and weaknesses and receive valuable practical guidance for their development.

And this year, the program was divided into six modules on different topics, adjusted to the new reality and challenges facing businesses, including “Emotional Intelligence”, “The YOU Business Model”, “Impactful Presentations in an Online Environment”, “Skills for Assertiveness and Influence” and others.

The Succeed in Bulgaria leadership academy has been conducted since 2014 together with UniCredit Bulbank and under the patronage of the Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova. The Academy is fulfilling one of the main priorities of CWBB – namely to promote the professional development of women in business in Bulgaria. In 2016, the Succeed in Bulgaria Leadership Academy was awarded the first prize in the “Investor in Human Capital” category at the Bulgarian Forum of Business Leaders.