site.btaManager of the Year Finalists Call 2022 Challenging, Some Are Moderately Optimistic for 2023
All 10 finalists in the Manager of the Year competition described 2022 as challenging. They shared their opinion on what the business environment was like this year at a news conference at the national press club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Sofia, where the winners were announced. BTA is the media partner of the contest.
Executives at the companies were unanimous in their opinion that the war in Ukraine was the biggest challenge they had faced during the year. They cited the COVID-19 pandemic as another difficulty. Some of them expressed moderate optimism about the coming year.
Some of the top managers paid attention to the political situation in the country. They pointed to the political crisis in the country as a challenge. Some of the finalists noted that a regular government guarantees more predictability for business and reminded that the state needs to be a stable partner to businesses.
Management Financial Group CEO Antonia Sabeva, shared that one of the companies in her business group operates on the Ukrainian market. Efficiency at all business levels and investments in information technology is what will help the company's continued development, despite the challenges, Sabeva pointed out. She argued that in the coming year customers should continue to be more conservative.
Moto-Pfohe manager Atanas Furnadzhiev pointed to the lack of supplies and the delay in production. He said that in 2022 demand exceeded supply as there was a shortage of new car production globally.
Managerial aid Vladimir Spasov expressed hope that the war in Ukraine will end soon. Economically, the whole world is affected by this conflict, he said, and singled out the increase in the prices of materials, supplies, electricity carriers, transport, etc. Spasov also highlighted inflation as a challenge for 2022.
Sutherland Global Services Bulgaria Dimitar Galabov CEO also said that the war in Ukraine has caused concerns, but real upheaval in his sector and an outflow of investment have not been observed. He pointed to the shortage of human resources as a challenge.
Cargill Bulgaria CEO Eva Elges said that despite the challenges, the field in which she works is doing well. She said in recent years, attention has shifted to increasing worker protections.
World Transport Overseas CEO Nikolay Nikolov said his company registered growth and its operation was streamlined. He said 2022 was challenging to all and consumption shrank everywhere. He said that while pessimists about 2023 outnumber optimists, he himself is moderately optimistic and believes next year will mark a turning point. The war in Ukraine should end so that people can work more peacefully, he said.
FAAC Bulgaria General Manager Svetlana Stefanova said things are quite dynamic. COVID-19 and the war have disrupted supply chains. "Prices are unprecedented, we should appreciate opportunities," she said.
Modis Bulgaria General Manager Philippe Rouvrais was represented by Finance Director Marieta Bazelkova at the news conference. The company coped with the challenges relying on optimization. She expressed a hope that the political situation in Bulgaria will stabilize. In her view, important decisions are being stalled.
MagnaPharm Bulgaria General Manager Yuliyan Hristov said each organization felt the impact of inflationary pressure. His company has been doing well during the crisis and has demonstrated flexibility while adapting to the challenges.
Smart Organic owner and Executive Director Yani Dragov was absent and the company's Chief Commercial Officer Radostina Peneva talked about 2022. The company has been implementing its strategic development programme as scheduled despite the international developments and expects an increase in sales of organic food products.
The winner will be announced at the Sofia Opera and Ballet on November 10.
/NZ/
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