Jury
Bulgarian Project Management Awards 2025
Ivan Vaptsarov
Consultant | PMP® | PRINCE2® | Lean Six Sigma
Ivan Vaptsarov is an award-winning project management professional and consultant, named “Project Manager of the Year”; by PMI® Bulgaria in 2023. He is the author of a bestselling project management course on Udemy.com with over 250K students worldwide.
His career includes roles as Head of PMO Department, Project Manager, and Management Consultant. His international experience encompasses corporate transformation initiatives, M&A, and process improvement across manufacturing, Oil & Gas, software development, and finance sectors.
Ivan currently leads a consulting company providing professional services in project and operations management. He is also developing an online learning & development platform specially designed for project managers (Pmpeer.com). He serves as a project management trainer and guest lecturer at several universities.
Ivan holds BSc and MSc degrees in Finance from Bocconi University, Italy, and certifications in PMP®, PRINCE2®, and Lean Six Sigma.
Ivelina Chaldakova
Chief Product Officer
Seasoned leader, project and product management professional, trainer, and coach, currently serving as Chief Product Officer at a Norwegian-Bulgarian tech company. She leads the product management for SaaS solutions in the digital document management and information governance space, overseeing the entire product lifecycle — from ideation and design to launch and beyond.
With 15+ years of experience, she has worked with a broad spectrum of organizations: from startups to Fortune 500 companies, as well as governmental institutions and NGOs. This diverse background gives her a rich and strategic perspective. She also holds multiple industry-recognized certifications in agile, project, and product management, demonstrating her deep expertise and commitment to excellence.
Ivelina also serves as a Local Leader for Women in Agile Bulgaria, highlighting her dedication to empowerment and knowledge-sharing within the agile ecosystem.
Jonathan Spiteri
Founder and CEO, Strategy and Transformation Services Ltd. | PMP® | Certified SAFe® 6 Practice Consultant (SPC) | Six Sigma Black Belt
Jonathan Spiteri brings deep expertise in enterprise portfolio management, agile transformations, business innovation, and change management. He helps organizations navigate disruption, build cultures of adaptability, and promotes a mindset of continuous improvement. His work bridges strategy and execution, enabling organizations to unlock potential, achieve sustainable growth, and deliver lasting transformation through practical, human-centered approaches.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is a certified SAFe® 6 Practice Consultant (SPC), Axelos Portfolio Director, and Project Management Professional (PMP). Jonathan also holds several other professional credentials, including TOGAF 9.2 and Six Sigma Black Belt certifications.
Prof. Dr.Sc PhD Sonia Mileva
Vice-Rector for Career Development, Alumni, and Business Networks Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Vice-Rector Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Prof. Mileva-Bojanova is a Full Professor of Economics with a Doctor of Science in Economics and a PhD in Marketing. She combines academic expertise in project management, digital transformation, and innovation with over 20 years of experience leading national and international projects bridging academia and industry.
As Vice-Rector, she oversees Sofia University’s technology transfer while also teaching project management for bachelor and master degree students. She has authored over 120 publications, mentored nine doctoral students, and contributed to the European Commission’s ESCO taxonomy. She has served as an evaluator for COST, Erasmus+, and other EU programs, and chaired expert groups in accreditation and research funding.
Spencer Horn
Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) | Certified Team Performance Coach (CTPC)
With over 33 years of executive experience—including serving as a CEO and VP of a NASDAQ-listed company—he has coached and consulted senior leaders across construction, tech, healthcare, finance, and more.
Spencer is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Certified Team Performance Coach (CTPC), and licensed behavior analyst. He has worked with top-performing project teams and leadership groups in over a dozen countries, helping them increase accountability, engagement, and sustainable results under pressure.
He is a top-rated Vistage speaker, past president of the National Speakers Association Mountain West Chapter, and the author of the upcoming book The Divinity Principal: How to Lead with Impact While Honoring Human Potential (2025).
Sultan Gürsoy
Regional Community Engagement Lead, PMOGA Europe | PMP®
Project leader with top-tier certifications, driving global operations and digital innovation. Current PMOGA Europe Outreach Lead and former Community Engagement Lead, building visibility, volunteer pipelines, and cross-regional collaboration within PMI.
She has 7+ years in life sciences and has lived and studied in three different countries. Lead the Women in AI Website Project to enhance global digital engagement and serves as Member Engagement Lead for HBA Istanbul and Ambassador Program Advisor for HBA Global, championing inclusivity and
Zannina Anagnostopoulou
President of the BOD, PMI Greece Chapter | PMP®
Senior executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across banking, financial services, energy, aviation, and infrastructure in the CEE & SEE regions. She has held executive director roles and advised Boards on governance, transformation, and cross-border growth in regulated and complex markets.As Managing Partner of her consulting practice, she currently works under executive contracts in the aviation/infrastructure and financial services sectors, driving transformation, governance, and compliance in high-impact projects.
She is the President of the PMI Greece Chapter, leading one of Europe’s fastest-growing PMI communities, and a global PMI volunteer, contributing to initiatives in youth empowerment, education, and the future of work.
She holds a BSc in Mathematics, an MBA from ALBA Graduate Business School, is a PMP® credential holder
Dr. Zornitsa Yordanova
Associate Professor | Co-Founder
Dr. Zornitsa Yordanova is an academic and business professional with expertise in Digital Transformation, Innovation, Technology Innovation, and Business Information Systems.In academia, she holds the position of Associate Professor at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia and is a Guest Lecturer at WU Vienna, delivering courses on innovation, technology management, and digital transformation.In business, Dr. Yordanova combines nearly two decades of international experience in multiple leadership roles.
She is a Project Manager with extensive experience in large-scale ICT initiatives, a Trainer and Consultant who supports organizations in adopting innovation and digital transformation, and the Co-Founder of Intertaxer, a company developing smart, user-friendly process automations within Microsoft 365 across organizational roles and functions. She is also a Startup Founder exploring new ways to leverage technology to reshape the future of work.
Daniel Hemhauser
Senior Project Leader | PMP® | PMI-ACP® | PMI-PMOCP® | DASSM®
Daniel Hemhauser is a senior project leader with over 20 years of experience guiding large-scale initiatives and transformations across industries. Globally recognized for bridging the gap between project management and emotional intelligence, he is known for advancing leadership practices that combine clarity, resilience, and influence. His work has shaped how organizations align strategy with execution, build trust across stakeholders, and deliver sustainable business impact.
Isabelina Jorge
President of PMI Portugal Chapter | PMP®
Isabelina Jorge, is a Program and Project Manager with more than 30 years of experience, PMP certified since 2009 whose main areas of interest are Program and Project Management, Volunteer Management Education of the future and social impact.
She worked as a manager, consultant, trainer within project management and IT systems and undertook several executive roles in a range of public and private organizations both national and international. She founded and managed three small companies in IT systems and project management. She also taught Is and PM in several Portuguese universities, namely training for PMP certification.
She became a PMI Portugal chapter volunteer since 2011 and performed several Board roles and Vice President of Governance, Vice Proesident of Volunteer and, since 2021 President of PMI Portugal Chapter
Sreeshaj Sreedhar
Project Director | PMP® | INSEAD-TMTC Growth & Transformation Program
Twenty-five plus years’ experience in Project ,Delivery & Program Management, Product Management, Sales Engineering, Network Roll out, New Product Introduction, Process Re-Engineering , Network O&M, Service Delivery .Quality Management and Audits His expertise includes all aspects of the transformation life cycle including program and project planning, process design, system implementation, change management, and training.
He holds Executive MBA from IIM Bangalore and Graduate in Electronics and Communication Engg from MIT ,Manipal. Post Grad Cert in Business Analytics, AIMA Lean Six Sigma Black Belt ,PMP, PMI ACP, ITIL V4, TL 9000 Telecom Internal Auditor,Prince2 Agile. SAFe Agilist ,PMI Agile Hybrid, PSM1
News & Updates
The latest PMI Bulgaria Chapter news, articles, and resources, sent straight to your inbox every month.