2025 Project Professional of the Year

Project Professional of the Year

This honors an individual project leader recognized for exceptional leadership, vision, and sustained impact in project success.

How would you introduce yourself?

I am a senior project manager with more than 10 years of experience in leading IT projects. I hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance and banking and have expanded my technical knowledge through completing SoftUni’s.NET fundamentals and advanced courses. Having both financial and technical knowledge, combined with deep attention to detail, I am known for turning around projects and delivering results as project manager since 2015. Additionally, I mentor newcomers by supporting their development. I help them understand internal workflows, coach them and encourage them to take ownership of their tasks.

Which skills do you consider most critical for a successful PM in 2025/2026, and why?

Technical project management skills are crucial for IT projects, but success in 2025-2026 will increasingly depend on adaptability and the ability to navigate complexity and change. It’s important to be flexible and manage projects based on their unique context, rather than strictly following the book, in order to deliver real value and respond effectively to evolving challenges.

What was the most difficult professional decision you had to make over the past year?

One of the most difficult professional decisions I had to make was to take part in an ongoing, critical and high -priority project that was already delayed. I needed to quickly assess the situation, reschedule activities, prepare a risk register and bug report, and develop an adequate go-live plan to get the project back on track.

If you could give one piece of advice to yourself five years ago, what would it be – and why that one?

I would advise myself to spend more time doing the things that genuinely make me happy. Five years ago, I was focused on pushing harder and doing more, but now I realize that real progress comes from concentrating on what truly matters, staying focused, and making room for the activities that energize me.

Which decision over the past year was right for the project but personally difficult for you?

One such decision was the direct execution of several high priority tasks rather than assigning some of them . Given the strategic importance of the project and the very low tolerance for error, I decided that it would be better to complete the tasks myself to ensure quality and continuity.

While this approach helped mitigate risk and supported successful delivery, it required an intense personal commitment, including extended working hours over several weeks.

In the end, great results are rarely achieved without significant effort and personal sacrifice.

What would you no longer try to prove to anyone, even though early in your career you considered it important?

Earlier in my career, I believed I needed to accept every task and handle everything immediately to show my worth. With experience, I’ve learned that real effectiveness comes from setting priorities, and when needed, relying on others instead of trying to do everything personally.

How do you maintain your own effectiveness and resilience in a high-pressure environment with constant change?

I maintain my effectiveness and resilience in high-pressure, constantly changing environments by prioritizing tasks and working in short planning cycles. I break strategic objectives into clear, manageable actions and organize them in tools like MS Planner, Excel, or my notebook. By concentrating first on high-priority execution tasks and keeping my plans flexible, I stay focused and able to adapt quickly when priorities shift.

Who are you outside of work?

I enjoy spending time in nature, going on mountain hikes, and staying active – sometimes I participate in running marathons. Over the past two years, I’ve been practicing Pilates regularly, which has helped me not only stay fit but also learn how to balance work and family life more mindfully.

What advice would you give to PMs?

I’ll give two pieces of advice. First, don’t stop learning — project management changes fast, and staying curious helps you grow with it. Second, always define the project scope clearly at the very beginning. When everyone understands what’s in scope and what is not, the project runs far more smoothly.