ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Thanks to advances in medicine and multidisciplinary care, cancer is no longer necessarily a sentence. Dr Rositsa Krasteva and her team at Oncology Centre Uni Hospital are helping bring this progress to Bulgaria. Established ten years ago in Panagyurishte rather than a major city, the centre proves that professional excellence and the drive to develop know no boundaries. It offers modern treatment, participates actively in clinical trials and gives patients' psychological wellbeing the same importance as their physical health.

With more than 20 years of experience in the IT sector, Rumyana Mitreva has seen plenty of change – and has learnt to be part of it. From a young girl curious about how technology works to a leader of large teams working on advanced concepts, products and services, she has honed her ability to create new solutions and lead teams to successful results, while also thinking about the foundations of humanity's endless striving for technological perfection and its deepening dependency on technology.

Founded 13 years ago, investment company Match More builds more than exceptional residential buildings. It has created a comprehensive process in which investment goals, architectural and construction quality, and residents' satisfaction form a single whole – one with its own signature, vision for development and responsibility to clients.

An accident, disaster or medical error can turn a person's life upside down in an instant. In such moments, working with a law firm experienced in handling these cases can make all the difference. Attorney at law Petya Keranova and attorney at law
Angel Boev, partners at Keranova, Boev & Partners, explain why.

When should people injured in road or workplace accidents seek a lawyer as well as their insurer?

Access to information and the ability to choose among the best medical specialists in Bulgaria are just some of the many benefits offered by the i-Health app. The innovative concept developed by Svetlana Sabotinova as part of the SANOMA portfolio provides exceptional opportunities for both Bulgarians and international residents in the country to select the best diagnostic and treatment options for themselves and their loved ones.

It is one of the ways they discover the world, learn what their bodies can do and develop the confidence to try something new. And when movement is combined with music, play and a nurturing environment, it can become a powerful part of early child development.

Lora Andreeva has over a decade of experience in Ingram Micro Bulgaria. She partners closely with business leaders to shape the people agenda, driving talent development, leadership growth, employee engagement, and organizational transformation.

How did Ingram Micro's Sofia office manage to transcend the limitations of traditional operational and customer support functions and to become one of the company's key technological and expert hubs in Europe?

Social media is instrumental for modern businesses, yet a professional, functional and distinctive website is even more important. For seven years now, the digital web solutions company Vectory Design has created just that. Its founders, the brothers Metodi and Dimitar Kanazirski, share more.

How did two brothers decide to start a web design company together?

As the owner and founder of two of RE/MAX Bulgaria's leading offices, RE/MAX City and RE/MAX City Mall, Stoyan Gochev knows what it takes to excel in the competitive real estate market – and to build a business with lasting value.

One of his most remarkable achievements may seem obvious in hindsight, yet it was truly revolutionary at the time: the opening of RE/MAX City Mall, Bulgaria's first real estate office in a shopping mall. The move helped bring high-end real estate services closer to clients, making them available seven days a week.

When attorney at law Hristofor Manchev and attorney at law Zdravko Ivanov established their law firm in 2018, they decided whose surname would appear first in its name in one of the oldest and most impartial ways, also known to the law: by drawing lots. From that moment on, however, nothing has been left to chance when it comes to serving their clients.

What inspired you to establish Manchev & Ivanov Law Firm?

The investment markets shape the global economy, yet fewer people understand how they work, which investments are genuinely worthwhile and which trends have real staying power. Today, only someone with decades of experience and a keen eye for emerging opportunities can confidently navigate the maze of futures, derivatives, swaps, short and long positions, ETFs, spreads and the tokenisation of assets. Martin Petrov is one of those people.

In a world increasingly defined by screens, algorithms and remote connection, Mihail Lungarov is building something deliberately analogue. As co-founder of Board Game Events BG, a family-led initiative transforming board games into curated social experiences, he is part of a quiet cultural shift – one that values presence over distraction, and human interaction over digital convenience.

Buy a cheap property in poor condition, renovate it, furnish it to modern standards with quality appliances, then sell it at a healthy profit: in theory, passive property investment is an easy way to benefit from strong demand for quality homes and the shortage of move-in-ready apartments. In practice, however, property flipping has its complexities, and Krasimir Popov knows them inside out.

A family-owned company with strong traditions in construction and real estate investment management, and an excellent reputation for its functional, well-executed buildings, IZLAK has been creating strong partnerships and bringing positive change to the urban environment and the lives of hundreds of people for 15 years. Veronika Goranova tells us more.

IZLAK has been on the market for 15 years. Why do clients choose you?

Millions of years ago, a rain of meteorites supposedly brought gold to Earth. Some of the deposits settled in what is now the Rhodope mountain range, around Krumovgrad. A couple of millennia ago, the Rhodope's ancient inhabitants found gold and started digging… In modern times, the remains were further explored to breathe new life into an ancient trade forgotten for centuries. DPM Krumovgrad started investing in a place called by locals Ada Tepe, or Golden Island. It found a promising gold deposit and, following a bumpy road, in 2019 opened the first mine in Bulgaria for over 40 years.

Investing in people’s development and growth, nurturing their potential and guiding them toward realizing their competencies are all signs of good HR practice – one that is capable of uniting care for people with care for a company's success. Branimira Neshovska knows this well, as her professional career exemplifies these principles.

Official events, lineups of costumed politicians, protocol smiles and orchestrated crowds of children, workers, businesspeople - being the official photographer of an institution does not seem that exciting. But sometimes the person holding the camera has the power to transform the narrative, to discover hidden truths, to capture glimpses of unfiltered life. We saw it during Barack Obama's presidency with the moving, lively photographs of Pete Souza. Now, in Sofia, we see it in the philosophical photography of Frédéric de la Mure.

At the age of 14, Dony Vasileva was living in a small village near Yambol when she discovered that she had been adopted. By 16, she had started a family, and by 20 she already had three children… Today, she is an established author and founder of the food supplements brand DONY HEALTH. She is a graduate in applied lin- guistics, political science and diplomacy, speaks five languages and is grandmother to three grandchildren. A truly incredible life!

Mihaela Georgieva is an entrepreneur in the property and insurance sectors. After many years in senior management positions in France and Bulgaria, specialising in marketing and commercial development, she founded and now manages AGENZIA GROUP – a digital platform offering integrated services in real estate, insurance, lending, interior design and renovation works. She completed her higher education in France before specialising in international business development and sales in the US and the UK.

Rose Festival
When: 5-7 June

With over a century of history, the Rose Festival is living heritage, combining tradition, culture and contemporary art. Its rich programme attracts thousands of visitors from Bulgaria and abroad. Among the most memorable events are the rose-picking ritual, reenactments of traditional rites, colourful folklore parades and the Queen of Roses beauty pageant.