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The fifth edition of the Global Women Leaders Forum – one of the most anticipated events organized by the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (CWBB), will be held on 13 November 2025 at the Grand Hotel Millennium – Sofia.

The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with technological advancements, social transformations, and economic shifts reshaping our local and global landscape. Themed “Fast and furious changing world. Women in the driving seat” the 2025 edition of the Forum will place a spotlight on the pivotal role of women in navigating and leading within this dynamic environment.

Looking to the future, the forum will highlight:

• The unifying role of women in a fractured world

• The rapid technological shift – risks and opportunities for women

• Skills and leadership for the future

• Security and women

• Tsvetanka Mintcheva, Chair of CWBB and CEO of UniCredit Bulbank 

• Welcome speeches:
  –  Rosen Zhelyazkov – Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, lawyer and politician

Keynote: Global trends shaping the future – where we stand and the path forward 

9:50 АМ – 11:00 АМ
Panel 1:  The unifying role of women in a fractured world  

• Navigating change amidst economic, geopolitical and social uncertainty 

• Strategies for building resilience and preparing for what’s ahead 

• Carving out new opportunities and leading the way forward

  9:50 АМ – 10:00 АМ – Tomorrow will be what we make of it: “Women at the Helm of Change”
  • Marie-Christine Oghly, President of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs (Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales – FCEM) –  key note

  10:00 АМ – 11:00 АМ
  Panel discussion
  Moderator: Ivan Nonchev, Editor-in-Chief, Manager News
  Participants:
  • Yordanka Martin, Vice President of Risk at Ford Credit and former Chief Risk Officer at Harley-Davidson, USA, and winner of the Orange County Top 40 Under 40 for 2023 and the Top 50 Women Leaders in the U.S. Financial Sector for 2025
  • Ksenia Purkovic, Cluster Director Balkans at AstraZeneca
  • Irena Tsakova, Executive Director of DPM Krumovgrad EAD, part of DPM Metals
  • Nancy Schiller,  President and CEO of the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF)
  • Violeta Darkeva (ACMA/CGMA), Head of Accounting Operations at SumUp
  • Joana Sanchez Klosinska, Vice President Government Relations and Policy, Mastercard
  

   

11:00 АМ – 11:20 АМ
Coffee break

11:20 АМ – 12:25 АМ
Panel 2: The rapid technological shift – risks and opportunities for women 

• Empowering women to harness the power of AI to grow and thrive 

• Fighting gender bias in AI to ensure equity and inclusivity  

• The future of innovation: Integrating AI with traditional technology 

• Bringing entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation to the next level with the power of AI

11:20 АМ – 11:25 АМ – video address by Eva Maydell, MEP

11:25 AМ – 12:25 PМ
Panel discussion

• Moderator: Etien Yanev, Trainer in AI and Digital Marketing

  • Participants:

    • Alexandra Wittmann, Member of the Board of Directors, EVN AG Austria
    • Kelly Hume, Data, AI, Solutions & Engineering Business Unit Lead Partner at Baringa
    • Liliya Mesechkova,SVP, Digital Experience, Progress Software
    • Mario Garbeshkov, Managing Director of the Global Delivery Center at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Bulgaria
    • Monika Stanisheva, Chair of the Board, Dir.bg and President of European Female Founders

     

12:25 PМ – 12:55 PМ
CWBB Awards ceremony (Part 1) 
– Category 1: Inspiring initiative for diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace;
– Category 2: Inspiring initiative in the civil sector – NGOs contributing to social inclusion.

1:00 PМ – 2:00 PМ
Networking lunch

2:00 PМ – 3:00 PМ
Panel 3:  Skills and leadership for the future
Модератор: Гергана Иванова, основател и партньор в рекламна агенция The Smarts

• The female edge – why modern leadership needs women’s skills 

• Evolution of women’s leadership beyond physical and digital borders  

• The next generation of women leaders – overcoming barriers, creating support systems and championing advocacy  

• The next generation skills – education we need for tomorrow  

  Participants:
  2:00 PМ – 2:10 PМ –  The female edge – why modern leadership needs womens skills  
  •  Iliana Ivanova, Member of the college of European Court of Auditors 
  2:10 PМ – 2:20 PМ – The next generation of women leaders – overcoming barriers, creating support systems and championing advocacy
  • Prof. Maria Leptin, Molecular biologist and president of the European Research Council 
  2:20 PМ – 2:30 PМ – Skills and Leadership for the Future
  • H. E. Asma Al Fahim, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council 
  2:30 PМ – 3:00 PМ – The Brand of You: Redefining Leadership in the Modern Era
  • Rose Cartolari, Founder and CEO of RC Consulting and executive coach
  

3:00 PМ – 3:30 PМ
CWBB Awards ceremony (Part 2) 
– Category 3: Inspiring initiative for the integration of young people and the realization of their potential in Bulgaria;
– Category 4: Inspiring communication campaign to promote initiatives for diversity, equality, and inclusion;
– Distinctive mark of the SJBB for outstanding achievements in building a diverse and inclusive environment.

3:30 АМ – 4:00 PМ
Coffee break

4:00 PМ – 5:00 PМ
Panel 4: Security and women 

• Fostering international cooperation and peace in a volatile geopolitical landscape 

• Women’s strengths in crisis and conflict resolution  

• Women’s efforts to enhance community security and resilience 

  Moderator: Svetoslav Ivanov, Journalist and TV host
  Participants:
  • Monika Evstatieva, Senior Producer at National Public Radio, USA, and award-winning journalist
  • H. Е. Kirsti Pohjankukka, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Bulgaria
  • H. Е. Irene Maria Plank, Ambassador of the Republic of Germany to Bulgaria
  • Anette Juellund, CEO of European Women on Boards (EWOB)
  • Todor Tagarev, Military expert, politician and lecturer with a long career in the field of defense and security

5:00 PМ – 5:20 PМ
Signing a pledge for creating a better and peaceful world 

5:20 PМ – 6:20 PМ
Closing cocktail