30 Years Mr. and Mrs. Economy

The Mr. and Mrs. Economy awards are turning 30. So, after 2019 passed under the motto “30 Years Economy Magazine”, this year, we have another anniversary.

The awards that our Magazine created three decades ago have turned into a one-of-a-kind compass for entrepreneurship and business, for the development of the economy and the state governance, as well as for the growth of the society.

The awards have

excellent reputation

and each year the business sector continues to look forward to this special moment. In the first years of the Transition, it was quite natural for the grand award to be given to scientists and people, holding key positions in the government, whose decisions strongly influenced the development of the Bulgarian economy. It is no coincidence that the first winner of the Mr. Economy award 1990 was Prof. Georgi Petrov. In 1991, the award was handed to Ivan Kostov for his contribution as a Minister of Finance from the government of Dimitar Popov. The next winner of the award was the manager of the Bulgarian National Bank Prof. Todor Valchev for his role in the dynamic development of the Bulgarian banking system. In 1993, the winner of the award was Ventsislav Antonov, creator and head of the Agency for Economic Analysis and Forecasting, for his contribution to the signing of the agreement with the London Club for rescheduling of the foreign debt. Then, the was awards were not held for several years, but were

renewed

as Mr./Mrs. Economy in 2000 by the new publisher of the Magazine – Hiron 91 publishing house. At that time, Vasil Kanev, CEO of Ideal Standard for Eastern Europe, became Mr. Economy. In 2001, the first Mrs. Economy award was received by Rumyana Kyuchukova, CEO of Mobiltel. Then, the contest continued to take place every year, including after 2011, when the ownership changed again and the magazine turned into the most modern business edition. The Chairperson of the Management Board of Minstroy Holding, Nikolay Valkanov, and the CEO of Bella Bulgaria, Elza Markova, became Mr. and Mrs. Economy in 2012. In 2013, the jury selected the CEO of Litex Motors, Ilia Terziev, and the CEO of DSK Bank, Violina Marinova, as the big winners of the competition. A year later, the CEO of Vinprom Peshtera, Ivan Papazov, and Dr. Eng. Boryana Manolova, CEO of Siemens Bulgaria, received the Fisherman and the Goldfish statuette.

In 2015 was set the beginning of a

new tradition

Mr. and Mrs. Economy competition to be organized by the biggest employers’ organization – KRIB and Economy Magazine, and the winners to be selected by a jury, including the members of the Management Board of KRIB. At that time, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of KCM 2000 Group, Eng. Nikola Dobrev, as well as Petya Dimitrova, Chairperson of the Management Board and CEO of Postbank, received the most prestigious awards, and in 2016, they were handed to Ognyan Donev, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and CEO of Sopharma, and Svetla Lesova, CEO of Mondelez Bulgaria. In 2017, the jury of KRIB awarded the achievements of the Executive Director of Sopharma Trading, Dimitar Dimitrov, and Elina Drumeva, Manager and Co-Owner of Abrites.  In 2018, Aleksandar Dimitrov, Chairperson of the MB and CEO of A1, became Mr. Economy, and Petya Dimitrova, from Postbank, received the Mrs. Economy award for a second time. In 2019, the jury selected the CEO of Vivacom, Atanas Dobrev, and the CEO of UniCredit Bulbank, Teodora Petkova.

2020 is going progressively forward. The anniversary awards at the end of the year will again distinguish

the most successful

business leaders of the most profitable companies. So, let us all do our best in our work in order to achieve the highest results possible. Thus, the glamorous ceremony will be a jubilee triumph of the winners, and the Fisherman and the Goldfish statuettes, whose author is Stavri Kalinov, will be even more valuable for those who receive them.

We are preparing pleasant surprises for our readers, as well as meetings with people who have made an important contribution to the development of the Bulgarian economy.  Let us together create a better future.

We Will Again Honour the Achievements of the Business

Through this successful format, we show our respect to the people who are actually driving the economy in Bulgaria

The Mr. and Mrs. Economy competition is of particular importance for entrepreneurs and industrialists in Bulgaria. It is very important for the society, as it awards the most deserving business leaders who are not likely to receive the Stara Planina medal or any government award. This competition is a way to show respect to the people who provide the livelihood of many Bulgarians. Employers continue investing and developing their enterprises, thus contributing to the improvement of the standard of living and the prosperity of Bulgaria. When the awards are presented, I can see the

joy in the eyes and the satisfaction

that the work of these managers has been noticed and appreciated.” This is what the Chairperson of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB), Kiril Domuschiev, says on the occasion of the awards ceremony, which is traditionally held at the end of each year.

For the fifth time now, KRIB, under the chairmanship of Kiril Domuschiev, and together with Economy Magazine, is organizing this prestigious competition and honours business leaders with high achievements.

"We have to say thank you to the competent and

impartial jury

of the competition, which includes the members of the Management Board of KRIB – those who have been entrusted by the representatives of more than 12,000 companies, members of the Confederation. They provide jobs to more than 800,000 people and produce nearly three-quarters of the gross domestic product,” Mr. Domuschiev adds. He asserts that this jury is a guarantor of impartiality and inability to protect personal and other corporate interests at the expense of the general good. We have to thank the government of Bulgaria, the Prime Minister – Boyko Borisov, who personally handed over the first Mr. and Mrs. Economy award in the new format, as well as the ministers who are taking part in the ceremony, for our joint efforts for achieving growth and stability,” the Chairperson of KRIB pointed out.

Mr. Domuschiev commented on the upcoming anniversary of the Mr. and Mrs. Economy Awards: “This is a very successful format in which we will once again honour the achievements of the Bulgarian business and will award the people who are actually driving the economy in Bulgaria.”

To all who will take part

in the big race

for the prestigious awards, the Chairperson of KRIB says: “The owners and the senior executives of the companies and members of KRIB know that behind these awards are many days and years of work, patience and creativity, as well as support for the young people.”

In 2011, Kiril Domuschiev received the Mr. Economy award in the Contribution to the Development of the Industry category. On receiving the award, he assured: “I have been in business for more than 20 years, and until this year, I did not expect to be nominated and win such a prestigious competition. This recognition is obliging.” His development as a business leader has continued to multiply the successes, which is just a proof that the award went to the right person at the right time. Kiril Domuschiev is a major shareholder and Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Navigation Maritime Bulgare, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Biovet, co-founder and co-shareholder at Advance Properties, as well as President and Manager of Huvepharma, which has subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States.

If there is a good business climate, the industry and the industrialists will be treated with respect, this is what the Chairperson of KRIB, Kiril Domuschiev, keeps on believing.

Hard Work does not Go Unnoticed

The Mr. and Mrs. Economy  awards have become an institution

In 2014, the CEO of Siemens Bulgaria, Dr. Eng. Boryana Manolova won the grand Mrs. Economy award. “For me, this is an acknowledgment that the efforts of Siemens Bulgaria as a company and me as a manager are set in the right direction. That is why the splendid statuette of Stavri Kalinov is placed on a prominent place in my office as a confirmation that hard work, honesty in relations and perseverance in affirming the good name of the Bulgarian business do not go unnoticed.”

In 2018, Dr. Eng. Manolova also received a prize in the ICT, Outsourcing and Business Processes category. This happened in the year when Siemens celebrated its 140-year anniversary in Bulgaria. In the same year, the company opened its two new hubs – in Sofia and in Varna.

Eng. Boryana Manolova is the Deputy Chairperson of KRIB, and this is her perspective on the Mr. and Mrs. Economy awards and the upcoming anniversary:

“The Mr. and Mrs. Economy awards have long become an institution, both because of the authority of the organizers in the face of Economy Magazine and KRIB, and because of the high level of the nominees and the winners in the categories. Over the years, the competition has been changing and developing in parallel with the transformation and development of the Bulgarian economy. At the same time, it managed to retain its own “face” and establish itself as an important barometer for the state of the businesses in our country. I wish Mr. and Mrs. Economy to continue keeping track of what is happening with the businesses in Bulgarian and to double and triple those 30 years.”