Kiril Domuschiev joined the Advisory Council of the Clinton Global Initiative

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is the flagship program of the Clinton Foundation that aims to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, health equity, and inclusive economic recovery and growth. 

The run of this non-profit organization, led by former US President Bill Clinton, has been more than stellar. Since the launch of the CGI programme, partners have made over 3,600 commitments, which have bettered the lives of over 435 million people in 180 countries.

The initiative aims to unite people from all walks of life into a common vision that can produce results for a brighter present and future.

Tackling these challenges requires enormous energy and leadership skills to inspire change. And these are kinds of qualities that President Clinton has always been known for.

Back in May, he paid a visit to Sofia, his first visit to Bulgaria since 1999 when he was still an acting president and the first sitting US president to visit the country. His visit was in response to an invitation by Kiril Domuschiev, CEO of Huvepharma, a Bulgarian pharmaceutical company, which has established a global and dominant presence in its industry.

President Clinton met with students at the National Palace of Culture, where he reminisced about his previous visit almost a quarter of a century ago. Back then it was in the context of the Kosovo Crisis and the US-led intervention, which counted on Bulgarian support to succeed and bring peace to the Balkans.

I am glad to be back. I remember the visit in 1999. There was a great rally outside the cathedral and there must have been 30-40 thousand people. It was amazing. You've had a tough time, but you're doing great. And the fact that I've been invited back here makes me happy because it means I'm doing the right job," said Bill Clinton at the press conference in May.

But this time around, the esteemed guest’s visit had little, if anything, to do with geopolitics. He led the first CGI conference to take place in Sofia, which was a sign of how times have changed – for the better. It was also a sign that the Bulgarian leaders of today need to show determination and do their part in solving the contemporary pressing issues, such as climate change and rampant social exclusion.

Kiril Domuschiev, who played host to President Clinton, is now also one of the members of the CGI Advisory Council, which supports the work of the programme in two key ways. On the one hand, the 11 Council members provide valuable feedback and insight that shapes the objectives of the programme on a year-to-year basis. On the other hand, given their strong influences in different spheres, walks of life and parts of the world, these experts are the best advocates to broaden CGI appeal even further and to boost its efforts and commitments to engender palpable changes.

The positive effect of such efforts is easy to see - even at the executive level. Inspired by President Bill Clinton’s mission, Kiril Domuschiev announced during the Sofia visit, that he is creating his own initiative called Domuschiev Impact, which will closely partner with The Clinton Foundation in carrying out transformative goodwill project.

Domuschiev Impact will thus represent one of the most serious forays of a Bulgarian entrepreneur into the world of global humanitarian, social and environmental actions. The new platform's first commitments and agenda will be announced on 18-19 September, when the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative will be held in New York City.

As a member of the CGI Advisory Council annual meeting in the American city, Kiril Domuschiev will be in the prestigious company of some of the world’s most renowned business leaders and experts.

Among the most experienced members of the Advisory Council is Reema Nanavaty, who has been working for three decades to organize women in cooperatives, enterprises and trade unions in India. She is the director of SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association of India) and actively supports women to start their own businesses, working in 18 states in India as well as in neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.

Ireland’s richest person, Denis O’Brien, is also part of the effort to solve global challenges. He is the founder of Digicel, which was sold in 2021, but he also has business interests in aircraft leasing (Aergo Capital), utility maintenance (Actavo), oil (Topaz Energy), football (minority shareholder of Celtic F.C.) and healthcare (Beacon Hospital). O'Brien is involved in various philanthropic activities, including serving on the board of Concern Worldwide, founding the Iris O'Brien Foundation, and establishing a scholarship at Boston College.

Another "engine" behind the initiative is Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster, an American businessman of Argentine origin and a college friend of President Bill Clinton, and also director of the Clinton Foundation. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of InterEnergy Group, a UK-based energy company active in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Chile, Jamaica and Uruguay.

Natalie Molina Niño is an entrepreneur, technologist and programmer. She is the CEO of BRAVA Investments, a company that aims to support the development of start-ups and support businesses that benefit women. She is the author of LEAPFROG: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs.

Chairman of the Advisory Council is Robert S. Harrison - an American banker, lawyer, and educational & philanthropic administrator. He previously served as the chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2022. Mr Harrison also served as CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative from 2007 to 2016. He received a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1976, and subsequently was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford and received a juris doctor from Yale University. Previously, he worked for Davis Polk & Wardwell and Goldman Sachs and did fundraising for the presidential campaigns of Wesley Clark and John Kerry.

The CGI annual meetings have so far brought together over 190 current and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize winners and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists and members of the media.

Clinton Global Initiative Advisory Council:

• Riima Nanavaty, Director of the Self-Employed Women's Association;
• Bob Harrison, Chairman of the Advisory Council and Chairman of Cornell Board of Trustees (2011-2022);
• Kiril Domuschiev, CEO of Huvepharma and co-chairman of Domuschiev Impact;
• Ziv Aviram, founder and president of the Aviram Foundation;
• Nili Gilbert, Vice Chairman of Carbon Direct;
• Sheila Davis, CEO of Partners in Health;
• Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster, Chairman and CEO of InterEnergy;
• Francine Katsoudas, executive vice president and chief policy and goals officer, Cisco;
• Natalie Molina Niño, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Known;
• Dennis O'Brien, founder and chairman of Digicel;
• Hassan Taher, investor and philanthropist.