site.btaBanker of the Year Awards Presented 

The 29th Banker of the Year Awards, organized by Banker newspaper, were presented here at a ceremony on Monday evening. The newspaper recognizes the managers of financial institutions with the most remarkable achievements of the past year. 

The Banker of the Year Award was presented to Postbank CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board Petia Dimitrova. She said that this year was exceptionally successful for her bank, which she hopes will continue its growth in the coming years. 

Vice President Iliana Iotova, who presented the award to Dimitrova, noted that the Postbank CEO has managed to secure over 100 international awards, which is a testimonial for security, stability, development and success. 

DSK Management Board member and Executive Director Diana Miteva also received the Banker of the Year Award. She thanked the Banker newspaper's team, her bank and the bank's clients for their trust. 

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister for EU funds management Atanas Pekanov, who presented the Award to Miteva, said that the banking sector is working to the public's benefit, adding that he believes this will continue in the future as well. 

The Banker of the Year Award also went to MB Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KBC Bank and UBB, Peter Roebben, whose financial group does not plan on giving up on its branch network. 

According to Continue the Change co-leader and former finance minister Assen Vassilev, who presented the Award to Roebben, Bulgaria's path towards the eurozone is not over yet. "There is a chance, albeit a small one, that we will manage [to adopt the euro] by January 1, 2024," Vassilev said. 

TBI Bank COO Nikolay Spasov also received the Banker of the Year Award, for which he thanked his team. 

The Award was presented to Spasov by caretaker e-Government Minister Georgi Todorov, who congratulated TBI Bank's team on the institution's overall organization. 

First Investment Bank CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board Nikola Bakalov was awarded for achieving remarkable success in digitalization and alternative services channels. Bakalov stressed the importance of feedback from the bank's clients. 

Nikola Gechev, Director Corporate Sales at Vivacom Bulgaria, presented the award to Bakalov, noting that the banking system is at the beginning and at the end of all economic processes and its future lies in digitalization. 

Caretaker Innovation and Growth Minister Alexander Pulev said during the ceremony that the State is working at "full speed", despite being run by a caretaker Cabinet, which has approved some BGN 14 billion from the EU structural programmes. According to Pulev, the Recovery and Resilience Plan is working.