The new class of 40 participants will go through a series of free trainings for personal and professional development and promoting a self-driven attitude and entrepreneurial spirit.

Today the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB) kicked off the ninth edition of its most successful program, the Succeed in Bulgaria Leadership Academy. In the next few months, 40 women will participate in a series of free trainings for personal and professional development of the modern woman and for encouraging her self-driven and entrepreneurial spirit.

Unlike the previous two editions of the Academy, this year the trainings will be entirely in person. Traditionally, the program includes six modules, planned to be held as one-day trainings in 2022 and 2023. The first module that the participants will go through is called, “Learning for Real Life – Emotional Intelligence”. The program is constantly being upgraded and developed, and this year a completely new module, “Entrepreneurship and Change Management”, has been added in response to the new needs of businesses and the challenges they face.

“I am proud that for the ninth consecutive year I have the opportunity to say ‘Welcome’ to a new class of businesswomen who want to know their strengths and weaknesses and further develop their knowledge. The Academy isn’t just a program of courses; it is a personal challenge and an opportunity to create a network of both valuable contacts and friendships. I believe that you will make the most of everything that the program offers”, said Ekaterina Kirilova, Director of Sales at UniCredit Bulbank and member of CWBB, at the opening ceremony. 

Nearly 70 applications were submitted for participation in the ninth edition of the Leadership Academy. Women from all over the country expressed their interest to join the program, with the largest number of applicants being from Sofia (over 60%), Plovdiv and Varna. This year again, the most applications came from women between the ages of 32 and 37. Most of the applicants has completed Master’s programs, and there were also several women with a PhD degree. Most of those who have applied have between 18 and 22 years of work experience, and the sectors in which they work are diverse, with the most predominant being those from the fields of information and communication technologies (ICT), healthcare and finance.

The Succeed in Bulgaria Leadership Academy is one of the most successful programs of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB), which includes a year-long training held in six separate one-day modules. The program is aimed at women who want to grow in the Bulgarian business – mid-level managers and owners of small and medium-sized businesses. Participation is completely free thanks to the member companies of the Council.

The academy was launched in 2014, and since its start more than 320 women have successfully gone through the training it offers. Each year, the selected participants have the opportunity to engage in new challenges, develop their leadership potential, get to know their strengths and weaknesses, as well as receive practical guidance that will be useful to them professionally and personally.