Our Team
Nadya Dankinova has significant experience in management of EU financed municipal projects, as well as in providing financing for municipal and urban development projects. Mrs. Dankinova is a former deputy district and regional governor of Yambol region, as well as a former deputy mayor of Yambol Municipality. Mrs. Dankinova has actively participated in expert working groups related to financial decentralization and municipal finance, as well as in the development of strategic regional documents.
Since 2011, Nadya Dankinova is performing the functions of an Executive Director of FLAG. Since 2012 Mrs. Dankinova has been appointed an Executive Director of FLAG’s subsidiary - Fund for Sustainable Urban Development, an UDF under JESSICA Initiative.
Nadya Dankinova holds a Master’s Degree in Social Economic Planning and Public Finance at the University of National and World Economy.
Stoyan Stavrev is the sole owner and manager of Bulgarian Consultancy Organization EOOD – partner in Sustainable Cities Fund. He holds management positions in the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG). He is also a member of the Working Group on the Development of the Sofia Municipality Investment Program, the Monitoring Committees of some of the main operational programs for the period 2014-2020 and the Public Consultation Council of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds in the National Assembly.
Stoyan Stavrev has significant experience in the public sector by taking leadership positions in the Ministry of Transport and Finance, in the Central Finance and Contracting Unit Directorate - the main precursor contracting authority, where he is directly responsible for the co-ordination of the preparation for providing accreditation for the implementation of the extended decentralization system in the management of Phare projects.
Mr. Stavrev is the winner of the “Mr. Economy” Award in the "Consultancy Business" category for 2016.
A lawyer with a diploma from St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, he specializes in the field of human rights protection and the development of small and medium enterprises (Japan).
Diyana Dimitrova-Kamenova has more than 20 years experience in banking out of which over 13 years in Corporate banking. She has profound expertise in managing and motivating sales teams. Diyana is Head of Corporate Banking Directorate at UBB, part of KBC Group, which includes the segments large corporate companies, mid.sized companies, international companies, financial institutions and institutional clients. Under her management the Corporate Banking business line has achieved a remarkable and sustainable growth over the last 8-10 years. She is also a member of Corporate Banking Community at KBC Group.
Diyana Dimitrova-Kamenova graduated Inter Alpha Banking Program at INSEAD, France in 2019. She has attended KBC University, Belgium in 2016-2018. Diyana also holds a Master Degree in two majors: International Economic Relations and Accounting and Control from University of World and National Economy, Sofia. She has special interest in coaching and has attended several programs for business and personal development coaching.
Iva Petkova has over 10 years of experience in the evaluation and monitoring of projects funded by SCF and ESIF. Since 2008 Mrs. Petkova has been working at FLAG, where she participates in the evaluation of administrative capacity and public procurement, in the assessment of the eligibility and compliance with the requirements of the respective Operational Program, in the evaluation and monitoring of the implementation of the projects by the municipalities.
Since 2011, Iva Petkova is involved in the implementation of JESSICA Initiative under the Urban Development of Sofia - she participated in the process of application to the EIB, in the development of the Fund's policies and rules, in the preparation and implementation of sustainable urban projects financed by the SCF under OPRD 2007-2013.
Iva Petkova holds a Master’s Degree in European Studies and in International Relations from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski ". Within the framework of the Sustainable Cities Fund, she performs the functions of a Key expert for Urban Regeneration and Financial Instruments.
Lyubomir Tsarev is an expert with experience in municipal financing and in the evaluation and monitoring of sustainable urban projects. Since 2014, Lyubomir has been working at FLAG, where his main responsibilities have been managing a loan portfolio, analysis and assessment of the financial condition of the borrowers, forecasting and management of the company’s financial resources. In 2015 he began working at the “Fund for Sustainable Urban Development” EAD – a financial instrument under the JESSICA initiative. His main duties at this fund include consulting potential final recipients, assessment of the submitted project proposals and monitoring of the implementation of the approved projects.
Lyubomir Tsarev holds a Master’s Degree in Financial management from the UNWE. At the Sustainable Cities Fund, Lyubomir is in charge of assessing the business plans and the financial forecasts of the eligible projects.
Vanina Chalakova has nearly 10 years of experience in municipal financing, monitoring investments and providing technical assistance and consultations to final beneficiaries for urban infrastructure, energy efficiency, tourism and cultural heritage, incl. advising municipalities on preparation of the loan application and on the structuring of credits within FLAG. Mrs. Chalakova has the expertise to assess the eligibility of costs, as well as to perform cash flow analysis of projects, funded under the Operational Programs and other donor programs, including tourism and cultural heritage projects.
Vanina Chalakova holds a Master’s Degree in International Economic Relations from the University of National and World Economy. Within the framework of the Sustainable Cities Fund, Mrs. Chalakova acts as a Key expert for Tourism and Cultural Heritage.
Mladen Dilov has experience in the field of supervisory activity, in the public administration, as well as in the banking sector, where he is involved in the analysis, evaluation and management of financial products of individuals. In 2020, he joined the Fund FLAG team as an "Expert" in the "Finance, Financial Instruments and Risk Management" Directorate.
Mladen Dilov graduated from the National Commercial and Banking High School with honors, has a bachelor's degree in "Business Economics", a master's degree in "Finance" and is pursuing a doctorate in the "Finance-Accounting" Faculty of UNSS. Within the framework of the "Sustainable Cities Fund", he performs functions related to the evaluation of business plans and financial forecasts of eligible projects, as well as credit portfolio management.
Julia Karadjova is an expert with 10 years experience in municipal financing. Since 2009 she has been part of FLAG, where she is involved in the assessment of credit indebtedness, the analysis of the borrower and project cash flows, as well as of the administrative capacity of the borrower. Julia Karadjova is responsible for the monitoring of FLAG credit portfolio.
Julia Karadjova holds a Master's degree in Finance and a Master's degree in Accounting and Control from UNWE. Within the framework of the Sustainable Cities Fund, she performs the functions of a key expert “Energy efficiency”.
Dr. Kiril Velichkov has more than 20 years of experience with European programs, working under PHARE and Socrates programs, and also responsible for European projects within Southeastern Europe at the Goethe Institute. He has consulted Bulgarian and foreign ministries and has been an independent expert of the European Commission. He has an experience as a university lecturer.
He has over 7 years of experience with financial instruments, including JEREMIE Initiative, Guarantee mechanism for projects in the field of Agriculture and Fisheries, COSME Loan Guarantee Facility, SME Initiative, InnovFin and others. Kiril Velichkov is a Director of European Projects and Financial Institutions Directorate at UBB and a manager of the „KBC Group for European Financial Instruments Competence“ Center.
Gea Holechkova has over 10 years of experience in managing, evaluating and monitoring investment projects, financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds. She has participated as a manager in key infrastructure projects on the territory of Bulgaria. She participates in thematic working groups for the development of programme documents for the period 2021-2027. Since 2018, she is part of the Bulgarian Consulting Organization and the team of the Sustainable Cities Fund. Under the SCF, she is involved in assessing the eligibility of projects.
Gea Holechkova holds a Master's degree in Accounting and Control from the University of National and World Economy and a Master's degree in Management from Cotrugli Business School, Croatia. She is a certified member of the Institute of Project Management, USA.