Amcham Annual Report 2012

2013 SOFIA, JANUARY, 2013 Table of Contents

Report of the Board of Directors page 1

Organizational Structure – Board of Directors and AmCham Team page 5

Key Performance Indicators page 6

Membership 2012 page 8

AmCham Events 2012 page 14

AmCham Committees & Working Groups page 24

Our Speakers page 30

International Cooperation page 34

Financial Report 2012 page 37

AmCham Bulgaria Publications page 38

In the media in 2012 page 39

Audit Report 2011 page 41 Report of the Board of Directors FOR THE YEAR 2012

Dear AmCham Members: more foreign investments, leveling the playing field for On behalf of the American Chamber of Commerce Board fair competition were outlined to be the focus of the Jobs of Directors it is my pleasure to present you with our Diplomacy mission of the State Department. Annual Report for 2012. The conference was hosted by the Secretary of State, Further below you will see the Key Performance Indicators Hillary Clinton who said in her speech “Finally, we fun- as well as more detailed presentation of the events activi- damentally believe that increasing trade and growing ties of our committees, position papers, media coverage, prosperity will benefit not just our own people, but etc. people everywhere. Our economies are interdependent as never before, and so are our fates. America’s economic The facts and figures in the AmCham scorecard are renewal depends to a large degree on the strength of the important but it is far more interesting to see what is global economy, and the global economy depends on the behind these facts and figures. Let me focus on some of strength of America.” the highlights in 2012. These words about the interdependence of economies Partnership and cooperation – at a regional and local today are very relevant in the light of one of the funda- level mental principles that AmCham stands for partnership and In late February the U.S. State Department organized a cooperation. Let me note two examples in this respect. global business summit where representatives from U.S. In February AmCham Board paid a visit in Istanbul to business support organizations from 120 countries gath- the American Business Forum in Turkey /ABFT/ and the ered together in Washington to discuss how America’s Turkish-American Business Association /TABA/. Bulgaria foreign policy and diplomacy can champion U.S. business- and Turkey share a common cultural and historic past es abroad and drive recovery at home. The importance of which determines the importance of the economic rela- active promotion of the American companies, attracting tions between the two countries. Later in April TABA Board and member companies did a trade mission in Bulgaria to discuss opportunities for more business partnership with AmCham members. We consider regional cooperation of critical importance for achieving sustainable economic growth and stability within the country and in the region. Our focus in future will remain in expanding such cooperation with the chambers from the neighbour- ing countries. At the same time at the local level we have experienced a wonderful partnership with the German Chamber of Commerce and the Austrian Business Circle in making the Business Ethics Conference on November 12. The forum was held under the patronage of Rosen Plevneliev, president of Bulgaria and we had as special guests Justice minister Diana Kovacheva and labor and social policy

Report of the Board of Directors 1 minister Totyu Mladenov, the US Ambassador Marcie of Commerce and introducing the opportunities of doing B. Ries, Matthias Höpfner, Ambassador of Germany, business in Bulgaria. The other goal was to continue the Jonathan Allen, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, and discussion with the University of Texas and prepare the Gerhard Reiweger, Ambassador of Austria. There is no necessary future steps for the signing of an agreement doubt that the topics discussed were of great importance for a Master’s program in Bulgaria between the Ministry to the whole business community – the number of 250 of Education, Sofia University and the University of Texas. participants and the lively debate proves that. Acting in The visit in Los Angelis focused on energy efficiency sector the spirit of good corporate citizens and in line with the and the support the EBRD provides to improve energy messages of the event the three chambers decided to efficiency of Bulgaria’s residential as well as commercial donate from the revenue of the conference 30 000 leva and public buildings. Dan Berg, David Butts and Barbara to the Bulgarian Christmas charity initiative under the Lapini presented the general business climate as well as patronage of President Plevneliev. EU and EBRD funded projects. The trip continued with Let me take this opportunity and praise here the active visits at Gensler World headquarters and discussions with involvement of David Butts and Daniel Berg who were LA Port Authority representatives. one of the driving vehicles in initiating the event and The historic moment for the road show came in its sec- moderating the lively discussions. ond part when the program in Seattle and the Silicon The U.S. Business Road Show 2012 Valley was led by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev. That was a perfect synergy between the The third AmCham/U.S. Embassy business road show took Bulgarian state and the business community in joining place from May 14-18. As usual the road show aimed at efforts to promote the country in front of the U.S. com- promoting trade and investment between Bulgaria and panies and attract more trade and investments. the United States. This year its focus was innovation, high technologies, tech parks and business incubators Seattle is a center of innovation in the United States and for start ups. The U.S. Ambassador James Warlick and the stop here highlighted Bulgaria’s efforts to strengthen the AmCham President Peter Lithgow led an impressive the link between education and the innovative industries. delegation of business people: Daniel Berg, EBRD, Alex The visit started with presentation in front of companies Nestor, Dundee Precious Metals, Borislav Dimitrov, Cisco, representing a variety of sectors, followed by IT round- David Butts, CMS Cameron McKenna, Elena Marinova, table that gave the opportunity for U.S. IT firms doing Musala Soft, Alan Levy, Tishman, Tony Kitchukov, Delta business in Bulgaria as well local Bulgarian companies to Mechanical, Roman Vassilev, Johnson Controls, Atanas share their experiences with other U.S. companies in the Garov, Colliers, David Prater, ITT Exelis. IT field. The topics include the IT clusters, e-government, business incubators and tech parks. The visit ended with First stops were Austin and Los Angelis. a reception at Pacific Institute that was kind to host There were two main objectives for the visit in Austin. One the meeting of the Bulgarian expats in Seattle with the was the meeting with members of the Austin Chamber President and the delegation. President Plevneliev has also meetings with Bill Gates and representatives of his foundation where it has been discussed the online education, improvement of teachers’ qualification and the entrance of new high technologies in the education. The last stop of the road show was San Jose and the Silicon Valley. The President and the delegation had meetings at Google, HP and Cisco. The President presented the idea of Sofia Science and tech park in front of NASA Research center and later on in front of San Jose BioCenter business-incubator. The science and tech park was presented as a platform for startups and innovations in IT technologies and biotech, a place that latest technologies can be developed. During the visit at Cisco’s headquarters and the meeting with John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco it was discussed the role of technology and IT adoption in driving economic

2 Report of the Board of Directors AmCham position statement and then initiate the roundtable on the renewable energy. I would like to use this example to ask the whole membership for more proactive approach and helping the Chamber with expertise when we participate in either working groups or public discussions in the legislative process. This appeal goes to law firms, consultant companies and any members that can share knowledge and expertise. We are also satisfied to witness the increased role of our committees in CSR, tax and finance and HR. We are happy that these good examples have inspired our members and in September we set up two new bodies – Public Procurement and EU funds committee and Quality Management working group. The numbers of participants in the committees’ meetings tells about the interest and the need of such structures. At the Board level we believe that the committees can play not only the role of forums for sharing best practices but also as think tanks where growth and competitiveness. John Chambers informed opinions on important pieces of legislation and economic the President about Cisco’s activities in Bulgaria and policies are formed and developed. The committees reconfirmed the company’s commitment to the country’s should be the ideal place where AmCham positions and innovation policy. Later the Bulgarian President and the statements are formulated which afterwards can serve delegation met with more than 100 Bulgarians in Opera for a basis for our communication with the government House in Los Gatos in San Jose. The establishment of on the economic agenda and business priorities. the first Bulgarian school in Northern California and Last but not least is the support of the Chamber of its of Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce in San Jose were members’ initiatives. There are many proposals that come announced at the event. to the Board and we take a careful look at them trying The organizers of the road show the American Chamber to identify those initiatives that can bring the maximum of Commerce and the U.S. Commercial Service worked add value to our members. We do not want only to see in close co-operation with the USCS offices in Austin, our logo just placed on some banners neither we want Los Angelis, Seattle and San Jose, Austin Chamber of to be used simply as an information channel. We would Commerce and LA Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific like to have a real impact when we join and support the Institute Seattle. There is no question of the critical role initiatives of our members. In this respect we are happy of the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington DC and espe- to mention that we have supported AON/Hewitt Best cially the role of Ambassador Elena Poptodorova and the employers study, Job Tiger initiative for best employer in Bulgarian Consul General in LA, Marin Dimitrov. ICT, public lectures and discussions of the Atlantic Club. The roadshow sucess was to a large extent due to the AmCham Publications commitment and support from the AmCham members: Finally I would like to address another part of Amcham AES Corporation, Cisco Systems, Delta Mechanical Inc., and that is its communication strategy and publications. Dundee Precious Metals, CMS Cameron McKenna, ITT You can see further in the report how the Chamber’s Exelis, Tishman Management Company, UPS. activities are covered by the media, when and where Lobbying, Advocacy and Committees’ Work we are asked to present publicly our opinion, or how we partner with the media to promote work of the The AmCham involvement in lobbying and advocacy for Chamber. a better business environment covers a wide range of areas. In many of the sectors we have performed com- We very much hope that the Amcham magazine is a valu- mon actions with other chambers as for example in able and important source of information for you. We renewable energy. I would like to praise here in particular also have valued your input to its content and the sug- the active involvement of our member the law firm of gestions how we may improve it further. Penkov, Markov and Partners who helped developing the

Report of the Board of Directors 3 I use this opportunity to thank both TechnoLogica and Musala Soft for their leadership and proactive approach. At the same time the Board is looking forward to discuss any new ideas that will bring the Chamber to new creative solutions of its communication strategy and operations. Let me conclude by extending thanks to all the Board members and Committee Chairs who have done out- standing work by mobilizing members as well as bringing and leading new initiatives. Our thanks go also to the very capable AmCham team, led by our Executive Director Valentin Georgiev, that contributed much to the success of the Chamber. Great part of the credit for the AmCham success in 2012 And here is the news from this year in our publications. should go to the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Commercial There is no doubt that AmCham and its membership are Service for the tireless assistance they have extended to great supporters of innovation. The Board has decided us. Our sincere thanks go to Ambassador Warlick and we have to give an example by ourselves that we embrace Ambassador Ries who have been great supporters and the innovation in our communication strategy as well. friends of the Chamber. Two years ago we launched our new website designed by And of course our big gratitude is directed to all mem- TechnoLogica and we find that it serves the Chamer and bers for the dedication and commitment to make the the membership in an excellent way. In October 2012 we Chamber a vibrant and highly professional organization. launched the Android application of the AmCham maga- I wish you a very prosperous 2013! zine which has been beautifully designed by Musala Soft.

Sincerely,

Peter Lithgow, President

4 Report of the Board of Directors American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria Board of Directors

President ...... Mr. Peter Lithgow AES Corporation

Vice President ...... Mr. Atanas Garov Colliers International Bulgaria European Bank Vice President ...... Mr. Daniel Berg for Reconstruction and Development

Treasurer ...... Ms. Petya Dimitrova Eurobank Bulgaria

Members...... Mr. David Butts CMS Cameron McKenna Ms. Krassimira Chemishanska Amgen Bulgaria Mr. Borislav Dimitrov Cisco Systems Bulgaria Mr. Levon Hampartzoumian UniCredit Bulbank Ms. Mihaela Kalaidjieva VIVACOM Mr. Alex Nestor Dundee Precious Metals Mr. Solomon Passy Atlantic Club of Bulgaria Mr. Roman Vasilev Individual member

Ex-Officio Member...... Ms. Barbara Lapini Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy

AmCham Team

Executive Director...... Mr. Valentin Georgiev [email protected] Business Development & Event Manager...... Ms. Nadejda Vakareeva [email protected] PR and Publications Manager...... Ms. Irina Bacheva [email protected] Event and Committee Assistant...... Ms. Iva Zhivkova [email protected] Chief Accountant ...... Ms. Rositsa Arnaudova [email protected]

5 AmCham Key Performance Indicators 2012

KPI 2012 2013 Description Plan/Actual Plan MEMBERSHIP 310 / 314 314 Period 01-12/2012

EVENTS Conferences 5 / 6 6 AmCham/ US Embassy Business Discussion and Seminars with Charla Brown – 22 March Business Visit in Smolyan – 23 March U.S. Showcase on Renewable Energy Seminar with US Commercial Service – 28 March Bulgaria and Turkey: Strategic Economic Partnerships, TABA visit, 22–23 April AmCham/US Embassy Elections Debate – 24 October Business Ethics Conference with German and Austrian Chambers –12 November Business 5 / 13 8 Business Luncheon with the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov – 12 January Luncheons Business Breakfast sponsored by CMS Cameron McKenna –31 January & General Business Breakfast with Deputy Minister Assemblies of Education Petya Evtimova – 03 February AmCham General Assembly – 07 February Business Breakfast with University of Texas – 02 March Business Luncheon with Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov – 18 June Business Breakfast sponsored by AON – 01 June AmCham General Assembly – 26 June Business Breakfast with Giuseppe Gramigna, U.S. Small Business Administration – 12 June Business Breakfast with Wendy Kopp, Teach for Bulgaria – 26 September Business Luncheon with Varel Freeman, EBRD – 22 October Business Luncheon with U.S. Ambassador Marcie Ries – 30 October Business Breakfast with National Revenue Agency, sponsored by PWC, 28 November Social / Sports 9 / 6 8 AmCham Ski Tournament, Pamporovo – 24 March Events AmCham-BCAF Volunteer Day – 19 May Independence Day Celebration – 07 July AmCham – BCAF Volunteer Day – 13 – 20 October & Professionals at Schools Week Thanksgiving Community Dinner- 20 November X-mas Party – 14 December

6 Key Performance Indicators 2012 KPI 2012 2013 Description Plan/Actual Plan Networking 6 / 6 6 Business After Hours with Contitrans M – 25 January Receptions Meet New Members Party – 16 February Meet New Members Party – 05 April Meet New Members Party – 28 June Farewell Party Ambassador Warlick – 12 September Barbeque Party with U.S. Embassy – 2 October INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION International 4 / 12 4 AmChams in Europe meetings – Brussels, Washington Cooperation AmChams CEE visits – Prague, Vienna AmCham/ U.S. Embassy visit Turkey: TABA/ABFT – 14 February U.S. Business Roadshow with President Plevneliev – 14-18 May Israel visit with the President – 21-24 October U.S. Trade Missions with the US Commercial Service – Consumer Electronics, International Franchising, WasteExpo, Aerospace and Defense Mission in Turkey LOCAL COOPERATION & PROJECTS Events 2 / 8 2 US Pavilion on SEE ViaExpo Energy Efficiency Expo, March 28-30 BCAF Conference on Employee Community Engagement, April 4-5 Modularis Presentation with the US Commercial Service – 17 May British Chamber & AmCham Business Meeting with Economist, 29 May Plovdiv Fair Business Social Event with ICT companies – 27 September RES Roundtable with Photovoltaic & Wind Associations – 30 October Roundtable Discussion Professionals at Schools with BNT and BCAF, 3 December IWC Charity Bazaar – 2 December Projects 2 / 3 2 Volunteer Day and CSR cooperation with BCAF AON/Hewitt Best Employeers Study Top ICT Employer, JobTiger & ICT Media PUBLICATIONS AmCham 10 issues, 32 pages Magazine Yearbook 2012 500 copies, A4, new design Annual Report 2011 150 copies COMMITTEES 4 / 5 5 Human Resources Committee 0 / 3 5 Public Procurement and EU Funding Advisory Committee 0 / 2 4 Quality Management Working Group 4 / 2 4 Tax Committee LOBBYING Policy issues Attracting foreign investments, Bulgaria as a high-tech & innovations center in Europe Education; Enlarging AmCham international network & business opportunities abroad Advocacy Whistle Blowing: AES & ContourGlobal, Ideal Standard/Vidima, RES sector

Key Performance Indicators 2012 7 AmCham Membership 2012

AmCham Membership Policy The Board of Directors of the Chamber proceeds to strengthen the AmCham membership policy focusing on companies of US/international origin or companies that are actively engaged in business with the US. The good corporate reputation and adherence to responsible business conduct principles have remained one of the most important criteria for membership acceptance. All members should be committed to the aims and principles of the Chamber.

At the same time the financial crises leads to constrains in company budgets for marketing purposes which has resulted to a row of members that did not prolong their membership in 2012.

Membership Development The AmCham Bulgaria membership numbered 314 as of December 31, 2012. 44 new members joined the Chamber. At the same time 36 companies terminated their membership due to closing of offices or constraints of budgets and some firms were expelled due to late payments of the membership fees.

314 301 308 306 306 284

248 228 209 193 176

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

8 MEMBERSHIP 2012 Membership Structure by Membership Type, as of December 31, 2012

3 % Individual Associate 1 % 6 % NGO

Local 35 %

Internatonal 55 %

Membership Structure by Field of Business, as of December 31, 2012

Agriculture 1.3% Travel and Tourism 6.7% Audit and Accountng 1.9% Automobile 2.2% Constructon and Engineering 4.5% Services 4.1% Relocatons and Moving 1.3% Consultancy and Legal Services 6.4% Real Estate 4.5%

Public Relatons 1.6% Consumer Goods 2.2% Couriers 0.6% Pharmaceutcal and Chemical 3.2% Defense 1.6% Educaton 2.5% Outsourcing, IT Services 3.2%

Office Equipment 1.3% Energy 3.5% Media & Entertainment 2.5% Marketng and Advertsing 0.6% Finance and Banking 5.4%

Manufacturing 6.1%

Food and Beverage 4.5% Logistcs and Transportaton 2.5% Foundatons and Associatons 1.9% Investment Advisory and Management Services 4.5% Healthcare 2.2% Human Resources 2.5% Insurance 2.5% Industrial Equipment and Trade 4.5% Informaton and Communicaton Technologies 7.6%

The sectors with biggest shares among the membership are ICT with 7.6%, the Travel and Tourism expanded to 6.7%, and Consultancy and Legal services with 6.4%, followed by Manufacturing with 6%.

MEMBERSHIP 2012 9 New Members 44 new member companies joined the Chamber in 2012.

Company Name Industry Membertype

January

Ekzotika EOOD Agriculture Local company

Lesaffre Bulgaria Ltd. Manufacturing Multinational company

Nova Broadcasting Group AD Media and Entertainment Multinational company

February

Alpha Bank Bulgarian Branch Finance and Banking Multinational company

Musala Soft Ltd. Information and Communication Local company Technologies

The City Media Group Bulgaria Media and Entertainment Local company

March

Bene Sofia EOOD Office Equipment Multinational company

Municipal Bank Plc Finance and Banking Local company

April

Chevrolet Central & Eastern Europe LLC Automobile Multinational company

Jobs.bg EOOD Media and Entertainment Local company

PPTL Ltd. Consultancy and Legal Services Local company

UniCredit Leasing AD Finance and Banking Multinational company

May

Albena AD Travel and Tourism Local company

Attica Media Bulgaria Ltd. Media and Entertainment Multinational company

Aurubis Bulgaria AD Manufacturing Multinational company

Incotex Group Ltd. Construction and Engineering Local company

Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia AD Travel and Tourism Multinational company

Information and Communication Orak Group Europe Ltd. Technologies Multinational company

Sensata Technologies Industrial Equipment and Trade Multinational company

10 MEMBERSHIP 2012 Information and Communication VMware Bulgaria EOOD Technologies Multinational company

June

Bulgarian Executive Search Association Foundations and Associations NGO

Chevron Bulgaria Exporation and Energy Multinational company Production EOOD

Delta Mechanical Branch Bulgaria Services Multinational company

Investment Advisory and Management Expat Capital Services Local company

GEFCO Bulgaria EOOD Logistics and Transportation Multinational company

Hotel City Sofia Ltd. Travel and Tourism Local company

Maxi I AD Travel and Tourism Local company

Milara International Manufacturing Multinational company

RSM BX Ltd. Audit and Accounting Multinational company

TBI Bank EAD Finance and Banking Multinational company

August

Prestige 96 AD Food and Beverage Multinational company

Red Devil Catering Plc Services Local company

Right Rental Ltd. Services Local company

October

Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG Travel and Tourism Multinational company

Investment Advisory and Management Business Intellect Ltd. Services Local company

GTC Yuzhen Park EAD Construction and Engineering Multinational company

Inter Bulgaria – 2004 Ltd. Construction and Engineering Multinational company

Information and Communication InterConsult Bulgaria Ltd. Technologies Local company

Quadrant Beverages JSC Food and Beverage Multinational company

November

5W Communications Public Relations Local company

Geotechmin OOD Manufacturing Local company

Investment Advisory and Management ICAP Bulgaria EAD Services Multinational company

Minstroy Holding Jsc Manufacturing Local company

Premier Luxury Mountain Resort Travel and Tourism Multinational company

MEMBERSHIP 2012 11 AmCham Member Companies as of February 1, 2013

3M Bulgaria EOOD Berlitz Schools of Languages DHL Express Bulgaria Ltd. 5W Communications BG Radio Diamed Ltd. AA KRES EOOD BICA International Ltd. Dimitrov, Petrov & Co. Abbott Products EOOD BLD Asset Management Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov, & ACO Building Elements Ltd. BMG Ltd. Velichkov Adecco Bulgaria ltd. BMW Vertiebs GmbH – Branch Bulgaria Dobrev, Kinkin & Lyutskanov Law Firm Advance International Transport (Balkan) BOYANOV & Co. Dr. I.S. Greenberg Medical Center EAD Braykov’s Legal Office Drujba Glassworks SA AES Corporation British American Tobacco Bulgaria Dundee Precious Metals Inc. AFA OOD Brown Forman Beverages Worldwide Sofia DuPont Bulgaria EOOD AGORA-IN Ltd. Branch LLC E.ON Bulgaria EAD AIG Europe Limited bTV Media Group EcoPack Bulgaria AD AIMS Human Capital Bulgarian American Enterprise Fund Edenred Bulgaria Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG Bulgarian Charities Aid Foundation (BCAF) Ekotoi – Service Ltd. Albena AD Bulgarian Development Bank Ekzotika EOOD Alfred C. Toepfer International Bulgaria Bulgarian Executive Search Association Electron Progress EAD EOOD Bulgarian Property Developments EOOD Elevat Ltd. Legal House ALICO Bulgaria ZhZD EAD, a MetLife Inc. Bulgarian VIP Travel Ltd. Eli Lilly and Company Company BulPros Consulting JSC Eltrak Bulgaria Ltd. All Channels Communication Business Intellect Ltd. EMC Corporation Bulgaria Alliance One Tobacco Bulgaria Business Park Sofia EOOD Emerson Process Management SRL Allied Pickfords Bulgaria CallPoint New Europe AD Emmis International Alpha Bank Bulgaria Carlsberg Bulgaria AD EnergoService AD Amarant Bulgaria Ltd. Cefin Bulgaria EOOD (IVECO dealer) Engineeringservice Sofia Ltd. America for Bulgaria Foundation Center for the Study of Democracy ERATO HOLDING Plc American College of Sofia Cheque Dejeuner Bulgaria Ltd. Ernst & Young Bulgaria EOOD American English Academy Chevrolet Central & Eastern Europe LLC Etap Adress American Research Center in Sofia Chevron Bulgaria Exporation and Eurobank Bulgaria American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) Production EOOD Eurohold Bulgaria Amgen Bulgaria EOOD Cisco Systems Bulgaria EurOmax Resources Ltd. Anglo-American School of Sofia Citibank N.A. – Sofia Branch European Bank for Reconstruction and AON Bulgaria Club 50 Plus Development (EBRD) APOLO Ltd. CMS Cameron McKenna LLP – Bulgaria European Trade Center OOD Arco Capital Management LLC Branch Expat Capital Arexim Engineering Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria AD Experian Bulgaria EAD Ashtrom International Ltd. Coface Bulgaria Credit Management FairPlay International Astra Zeneca Bulgaria EOOD Services EOOD Fama Consulting OOD AT Engineering 2000 Ltd. COLLIERS International Bulgaria Flying Cargo Bulgaria Ltd. – Licensee of Atlantic Club Bulgaria Congress Engineering Ltd. FedEx Atos IT Solutions and Services EOOD Construction Management Group Force Delta Ltd. Attica Media Bulgaria Ltd. Contitrans M Ltd. Forton International AD Aurubis Bulgaria AD ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 AD GAEA – Green Alternative Energy Assets AVON Cosmetics Bulgaria Corstjens Worlwide Movers Group EAD Axway Bulgaria EOOD Crédit Agricole Bulgaria EAD Gasstroymontaj Jsc Baker Tilly Bulgaria Curtis / Balkan Ltd. GEFCO Bulgaria EOOD Balkan Star Automotive EOOD Dalkia Bulgaria EAD General Electric International Ballistic Cell Ltd. Danailov, Mihaleva, Nedelchev & Co. Geostroy AD Baxter Bulgaria EOOD Delchev & Partners Law Firm Geotechmin OOD Bayer Bulgaria EOOD Deloitte Bulgaria EOOD Geotrading Ltd. BC Serdon Delta Mechanical Branch Bulgaria GIFTA BCD Travel Bulgaria Deutsche Bank AG GlaxoSmithKline Bene Sofia EOOD Devin AD Grand Hotel Sofia

12 MEMBERSHIP 2012 GTC Yuzhen Park EAD Mobiltel EAD Schneider Electric Bulgaria Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria Ltd. Monbat Plc. SECTRON HILD Asset Bulgaria Jsc. Moten Sport Sensata Technologies Hilton Sofia Moto-Pfohe Ltd. Shell Bulgaria EAD Honeywell EOOD Movex Relocations Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan Hotel City Sofia Ltd. Mr. David Hampson Sherita M Ltd. Hotel Yastrebets Wellness & SPA Mr. Jean Talmon Siemens EOOD IBM Bulgaria Mr. Roman Vassilev SIENIT Holding IBS Bulgaria Ltd. Mr. Stefan Ivanov Sitel Bulgaria EOOD ICAP Bulgaria JSC Ms. Kalinka Kovatcheva Sodexo Pass Bulgaria EOOD Ideal Standard – Vidima AD Ms. Magdalena Nikolova Sofia Bio Incotex Group Ltd. Ms. Margarita Radeva, CPA Sofia Princess Hotel AD Industrial Holding Bulgaria Municipal Bank Plc Sogelife Bulgaria IJSC ING Bank N.V. Sofia Branch Musala Soft Ltd. Sopharma AD Inter Bulgaria – 2004 Ltd. National DISTRIBUTORS St. Sofia Golf Club & SPA Interallis Chemicals SA National Palace of Culture – Congress InterConsult Bulgaria Ltd. Centre Sofia Stanton Chase International Bulgaria Interdean Relocation Services NATO Defense College Anciens’ Steelcase International Interlang Ltd. Association Stefan Dimitrov, Norman Realestate Co. Intertek – Moody Nemetschek Bulgaria Ltd. Investbank PLC NEXTDOOR Ltd. Stroy-Consult EOOD Investor BG AD Nova Broadcasting Group AD Sunfoods Bulgaria EOOD – Development Licensee of McDonald’s in Bulgaria IP Consulting Ltd. Novotel Sofia MHQ Sutherland Global Services Bulgaria EOOD Iris Trade Consult Ltd. On Bulgaria Ltd. ITT Exelis OPlus EOOD TBI Bank EAD Japan Tobacco International Bulgaria Oracle East Central Europe Limited – TechnoLogica EAD Branch Bulgaria Jobs.bg EOOD The City Media Group Bulgaria Orak Group Europe Ltd. JobTiger Ltd. The Coca-Cola Company Bulgaria Orbit Ltd. Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria Tishman Management Company EOOD Orkikem Ltd. Johnson Controls Electronics Bulgaria Titan Zlatna Panega Cement OSG Records Management Junior Achievement Bulgaria TMF PANDA – IP Ltd. Kaliakra AD Totema Engineering JSC Pedersen & Partners Kamenitza AD UniCredit Bulbank Penev LLP Kamor Auto Ltd. UniCredit Leasing AD Penkov, Markov & Partners Katilin Popov Enforcement Officers Unimasters Logistics Plc Pfizer Luxembourg SARL Branch Bulgaria Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko Unique Estates Philip Morris Bulgaria EOOD Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia Unisys Bulgaria Branch Pioneer Semena Bulgaria EOOD KPMG Bulgaria OOD PMB EOOD United Bulgarian Bank Kraft Foods Bulgaria AD PPD Bulgaria EOOD VAPTECH Ltd. LANDMARK Property Management EAD PPTL Ltd. Videolux Holding / Technopolis Lesaffre Bulgaria Ltd. VISA Europe Lexim Sofia Ltd. Premier Luxury Mountain Resort VIVACOM Lindner Immobilien Management EOOD Premier Tours Ltd. VMware Bulgaria EOOD Lirex BG Ltd. Prestige 96 AD VSK Kentavar – IZ Dinamika EOOD M3 Communications Group, Inc. A Hill & Progress CAD R&D Centre Ltd. Knowlton Associate PSG Payroll Services Ltd. VUZF University Higher School of Maria Vranovska, MD, MBA PwC Bulgaria Insurance and Finance Mars Incorporated Bulgaria EOOD Quadrant Beverages JSC Welcome to Bulgaria Marsh EOOD Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Westinghouse Energy Systems Bulgaria Branch Maxi I AD Red Devil Catering Plc Wolf Theiss MB Communications Regus Bulgaria Ltd. MBL| Part of the CBRE Affiliate Network Renault Nissan Bulgaria SRL World Courier Bulgaria Ltd. Megatron EAD Right Rental Ltd. World Transport Overseas Bulgaria Ltd. Mellon Bulgaria EAD RSM BX Ltd. WorleyParsons Nuclear Services JSC Merck Sharp & Dohme Bulgaria S&T Bulgaria Wrigley Bulgaria EOOD Microsoft Bulgaria Sanofi – Aventis Bulgaria EOOD Wyser Milara International Savantelbul Bulgaria Xerox Bulgaria Ltd. Miltech Ltd. Sb Accounting and Consulting Zlatina Ruseva-Savova, LL.M., MBA Minstroy Holding Jsc Schenker EOOD Zobele Bulgaria EOOD

MEMBERSHIP 2012 13 AmCham Events Overview 2012

JANUARY

AmCham Business Luncheon with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov January 12, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan

More than 200 representatives of the business circles and members of AmCham, ministers and ambassadors attended a working lunch with the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov to discuss “Incentives for economic growth, new technologies and scientific research in Bulgaria in 2012”. Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, Sergei Ignatov, Minister of Education, Youth and Science, Traicho Traikov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Nickolay Mladenov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick took part in the event. In the discussion Borissov stated that while his party is in power, Bulgaria will maintain a low budget deficit and will continue with personnel cuts wherever the efficiency is low.

Business After Hours With Contitrans M January 25, Rainbow Plaza Hall

Experts and consultants from the cruise selling agency Contitrans M treated the AmCham members with a special evening cocktail to promote attractive cruises and destinations in a most pleasant and creative way – the reception took place at Rainbow Plaza Hall, specially decorated to re-create the interior of an authentic cruise ship.

Business Breakfast with CMS Cameron McKenna January 31, Grand Hotel Sofia

AmCham Tax Committee met over a Business Breakfast to discuss the main issues stemming from the requirement to provide the beneficial owner status of a foreign recipient of income sourced in Bulgaria. Over 90 members showed interest in the presentation of the key-note speaker Anelia Tatarova from CMS Cameron McKenna.

14 Events Overview 2012 FEBRUARY

Amcham Business Breakfast with Petya Evtimova, Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Science February 3, Grand Hotel Sofia

AmCham members, rectors and representatives of nongovernmental organizations gathered over a Business Breakfast with guest speaker Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Science Petya Evtimova to learn about two new initiatives under the Operational Program “Human Resources Development”, aiming at strengthening the relations between the business and the academia. Petya Evtimova presented the projects: “Students and student practices” and “Updating the curriculum in higher education in accordance with the requirements of the labor market.”

AmCham General Assembly Meeting February 7, Hilton Sofia Hotel

Two candidates ran for one vacant seat at the AmCham Board of Directors during AmCham General Assembly meeting. The majority vot- ing appointed Levon Hampartzoumian, Chairman of the MB and CEO, UniCredit Bulbank, to step in for George Gueorguiev, Country Manager, Adecco Bulgaria, who finished his second mandate as a treasurer and a BoD member from 2008 to 2012. In his address Hampartzoumian stated that his solid background in the private business, and particularly in the banking sector, will be helpful in supporting AmCham projects and initiatives in an effective way.

Meet New Members Party February 16th, Radisson Blu Grand hotel

Five new members of AmCham offered an insight into their company activities and why they have chosen to be the members of the chamber: Alpha Bank Group, Congress Engineering, Ekzotika company, Elevat Ltd. Legal House, Musala Soft Ltd. Each one of the new members hosted stands with information booklets and business cards, and courteously welcomed the arriving guests.

MARCH

Business Breakfast with the University of Texas March 2, Radisson Blu Grand Hotel

AmCham Bulgaria hosted a business breakfast on “Encouraging Innovations and Entrepreneurship through Technology Commercialization”

Events Overview 2012 15 with speakers Professor Gary Cadenhead, MSTC Program Director and Chantal Delys, Assistant Dean and Director of Executive Education at the University of Texas, Austin. Guests learned about the study and research opportunities at the UT and the Master of Science in Technology Commercialization Program (MSTC) for Bulgaria: one-year intense degree program designed to develop knowledge and skills in evaluating the market potential of new technologies, bringing new technologies to the market and creating wealth in the process.

AmCham – US Embassy Business Discussion with Charla Brown March 20, Grand Hotel Sofia

AmCham members were invited to a business discussion on “Entrepreneurial Creativity and Innovation: Activating the Creative Process in Business” with guest speaker Charla Griffy-Brown, Ph.D., Professor of Information Systems and Technology Management at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

The discussion was organized by AmCham and the U.S. Embassy in line with the Chamber’s priorities for year 2012 on educational issues and strengthen the partnership between the businesses and the academia.

AmCham Business Visit to Smolyan March 23, Smolyan

AmCham Bulgaria organized a business seminar as part of the multifac- eted agenda of the AmCham Ski Tournament 2012. The event showcased the business opportunities in the region of Smolyan and created a platform for networking between AmCham members and representatives of the local business and authorities. The seminar attracted companies from various fields of expertise operating in the region such as automotive, woodworking, electrical, construction, tourism and trade, etc. Among the official guests of the seminar were Barbara Lapini, US Commercial Attaché, Elitsa Nikolova, Advisor on Regional Development of the President Plevneliev, the Mayor of Smolyan and representatives of the Regional Governor.

AmCham Ski Tournament March 24, Pamporovo Resort

The 8th Annual AmCham Ski Tournament gathered over a hundred participants from the government and diplomatic circles, the banking sector, senior executives, business reps and top journalists for a close-run competition. The awards were given in seven categories. To prolong the joyful experience, AmCham organized a gala dinner at Orlovets Hotel with more than 150 distinguished guests among which the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, Ivan Iskrov, the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick, Matthias Höpfner, Ambassador of Germany, Karol Mistrik, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, Sheila Camerer, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa.

16 Events Overview 2012 amcham – US Commercial Service Seminar on Renewable Energy March 28, InterExpo Center Sofia

AmCham Bulgaria and the US Commercial Service organized a joint business seminar to talk about the prospects of the renewable energy sector on a global and local scale and to present sector specific initiatives, programs and policies with a positive economic and environment impact. The discussion was part of a larger expo on renewables taking place at the InterExpo Center in Sofia. The joint enterprise attracted Bulgarian, Romanian and US specialists who shared expertise and best practices in the field.

U.S. Pavilion at SEE ViaExpo on Energy Efficiency March 28-30, InterExpo Center Sofia

Several US companies exhibited at the U.S. Commercial Service-AmCham Bulgaria Pavilion: from Bulgaria – AES Geo Energy, and from the USA – The Illinois Energy Office, Helios Solar Works, and TenKsolar.

APRIL

Meet the New Members April 5, Arena di Serdica Hotel

AmCham members gathered for a traditional Meet New Members Party amidst the ancient ruins embellishing the interior of the 5 star Arena di Serdica Residence Hotel in Sofia. Four new members were introduced to the AmCham community: Fairplay International, Jobs.bg, Municipal Bank, and UniCredit Leasing.

AmCham Bulgaria and Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) business forum April 23, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan

AmCham Bulgaria and the Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) organized a joint business forum “Bulgaria and Turkey: Strategic Economic Partnerships”. The event provided a platform for intensive networking and played a role for strengthening the economic and trade relations between Bulgaria and Turkey, as well for improving the business climate in the region. The forum was a follow up of the visit of AmCham Bulgaria’s Board of Directors to Istanbul in early February as part the priorities of the Chamber for regional cooperation.

Special guests to the event were the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nickolay Mladenov, the US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick, the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Bulgaria Ismail Aramaz, Barbara Lapini, US Commercial Attaché, AmCham members and representatives of the Board of Directors, and distinguished guests from TABA.

Events Overview 2012 17 MAY

US – Bulgaria Ambassadors’ Business Road Show with the participation of the President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev May 14-18

The third AmCham/U.S. Embassy business road show aimed at promoting trade and investment between Bulgaria and the United States. It focused on innovation, high technologies, tech parks and business incubators for start ups. The U.S. Ambassador James Warlick and the AmCham President Peter Lithgow led an impressive delegation of business people: Barbara Lapini US Commercial Attaché, Daniel Berg, EBRD, Alex Nestor, Dundee Precious Metals, Borislav Dimitrov, Cisco, David Butts, CMS Cameron McKenna, Elena Marinova, Musala Soft, Alan Levy, Tishman, Tony Kitchukov, Delta Mechanical, Roman Vassilev, Johnson Controls, Atanas Garov, Colliers, David Prater, ITT Exelis.

The delegation visited Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Jose.

In a historic moment for U.S. –Bulgaria trade relations, President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev joined the program in Seattle and San Jose. The President’s goal was to promote partnerships in Bulgaria’s innovative sectors such as IT, aerospace, and biotech.

AmCham-BCAF Spring Volunteer Day May 19

Over 600 AmCham members gathered with their families and friends to support the AmCham-BCAF spring Volunteer Day in May for a fifth consec- utive year. Volunteers worked out the day for the benefit of 20 non-profit organizations, assisting children and young people with disabilities in day care centers. They also refined and improved the urban environment in 27 host facilities throughout the country, including Varna, Gabrovo, Plovdiv, Sliven, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Skravena, Dren and Bogrov. The official open- ing took place at Sofia Museum “Earth and People” and was performed by Susan Sutton, Deputy Chief of the U.S. mission and Elitsa Barakova, Executive Director of BCAF.

British Chamber – AmCham Business Meeting with Aiden Manktelow from the Economist May 29, Kempinski Hotel Zografski

The British Bulgarian Chamber and AmCham Bulgaria organized a joint meeting with guest speaker Aidan Manktelow of the Economist Intelligence Unit. Over 120 members of BBCC and AmCham took interest in the topic: “Bulgaria as an inward investment location and the opportunities for growth in trade and investment”. Mr. Manktelow elaborated on the global economic outlook and possible scenarios for the outcome of the financial crisis.

18 Events Overview 2012 JUNE

Business Breakfast with AON Hewitt June 1, Grand Hotel Sofia

More than 80 guests gathered over Business Breakfast to learn about the Best Employers Bulgaria Study, a project developed by AON Hewitt for measuring the employers’ engagement in the work process, the business results and the implementation of successful business strategies within a company. The study was first launched in 2006 and since then more than 350 Bulgarian companies and 60 000 employees have participated in it. The initiative is popularized in 11 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Business Breakfast with Giuseppe Gramigna June 12, Radisson Blu Grand Hotel

AmCham Bulgaria and the US Commercial Service hosted a Business Breakfast on “Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Engine for Economic Growth, Jobs Creation and Innovation” with guest speaker Giuseppe Gramigna, Chief Economist, US Small Business Administration. Mr. Gramigna’s presentation focused on small businesses as an engine of growth and a source of new jobs, higher wages and benefits.

Business Luncheon with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov June 18, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan

More than 100 guests among which AmCham members, diplomats, government officials and journalists attended a Business Luncheon with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov. Minister Tsvetanov addressed the issue of Bulgaria’s prospective membership in Schengen commenting on the challenges Bulgarian government is facing and the key steps that need to be made in order to meet all the requirements and secure the accession of the country.

AmCham General Assembly June 26, Grand Hotel Sofia

Two AmCham members were re-elected for a second term at the AmCham Board of Directors during the regular AmCham General Assembly meeting in June: Alex Nestor, Director of Corporate and External Affairs for Bulgaria at Dundee Precious Metals, and Borislav Dimitrov, General Manager of Cisco Systems Bulgaria. At the event, AmCham Vice President Daniel Berg spoke about Chambers initiatives for 2012 putting emphasis on the AmCham-Ambassadors’ Road Show in the United States in May, promoting Bulgaria as an attractive business destination for new investment partner. 19

Events Overview 2012 19 Meet the New Members June 28, Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia

The Japanese Garden of Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia became the perfect stage of the traditional AmCham Meet New Members Party in June. The exotic location attracted over 100 guests willing to give a warm welcome to the new AmCham members: Aurubis Bulgaria, Chevrolet, Incotex Group, Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia, Sensata Technologies and VMware Bulgaria.

JULY

AmCham Independence Day Celebration July 7, American College of Sofia

More than 3000 AmCham members gathered with their friends and families to celebrate the 18th AmCham Independence Day Celebration. The event started with the marching band and the performance of the cheerleaders of the Zlatitsa School, followed by Georgi Robev Choir, who performed the U.S. and Bulgarian national anthems, and went on with the presenting of the National Colors by the U.S. Marine Corps. Peter Lithgow, AmCham president, Valentin Georgiev, executive director and Paul Johnson, president of the American college welcomed the guests by thanking members and friends for coming along and supporting this celebration. Guests were entertained by the energizing performances of Teophoria band and the famous D2.

SEPTEMBER

Amcham Farewell Party for the U.S. Ambassador James B. Warlick September 12, Grand Hotel Sofia

More than 150 guests came to honor and bid farewell to the U.S. Ambassador James Warlick who has been the driving force behind a remarkable list of initiatives designed to promote and strengthen the bilateral U.S.-Bulgarian economic and trade relations. Some of the top- notch events under this slogan were the 2011 and 2012 business road shows in the United States.

Amcham Buisness Breakfast with Wendy Kopp, Ceo and Co-Founder of Teach For All September 26, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan

AmCham members and representatives of state educational institutions were invited over Business Breakfast with guest speaker Wendy Kopp, CEO and co-founder of Teach For All, who shared knowledge and best practices on the subject “Investing in Education: How to ensure high and sustainable ROI for our business and economy solutions”. Ms. Kopp addressed the problem of educational inequity and showcased how Teach for All, in partnership with other organizations worldwide, tackle education related issues.

20 Events Overview 2012 OCTOBER

Barbeque Party with U.S. Embassy October 2, U.S. Embassy, Marine House

More than 150 AmCham members were invited to meet the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Marcie Ries at a Barbeque Party, organized with the kind support of the U.S. Commercial Service and the U.S. Embassy Marine House. Guests were also introduced to the new U.S. embassy officials: Bryan W. Dalton, Deputy Chief of U.S. mission, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Public Affairs Officer, Deborah Campbell, Consul General and First Secretary of the U.S. Embassy. Special guest of the cocktail was Carmine D’Aloisio, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs in Italy.

AmCham – BCAF Autumn Volunteer Day & Professionals at Schools Week October 13-20

The 10th edition of the Volunteer Days was devoted to education along with the traditional initiatives for improvement of the urban environment and assistance to social institutions. Numerous companies provided specialists who shared with the children knowledge and experience from different fields of expertise in more than 30 Bulgarian schools. The campaign was supported by the Bulgarian government, represented by of Tomislav Donchev, Minister of EU Funds, Nikolay Mladenov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Totyu Mladenov, Minister of Labor and Social Policy, who also entered the classrooms. The Bulgarian National Television became a partner in the initiative and many of the leading journalists in the media joined made presentations at schools.

The educational series of events took place in October 13-20, 2012, in Sofia, Plovdiv, Rousse, Blagoevgrad, Varna, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Pernik, Sliven and other cities.

Business Luncheon with Varel Freeman, EBRD October 22, Grand Hotel Sofia

AmCham hosted a Business Luncheon with Varel Freeman, First Vice- President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with topic: “Bank Financing – Before, During and After the Crisis”. During the lunch Varel Freeman elaborated on the role of the international institutions for the provision of financing and provided a short review of the economic environment, stressing that today the world is very different from the “go-go period” until 2007 and investors are less willing to take risks when investing in new markets.

AmCham/US Embassy US Election Debate October 24, National Palace of Culture

Three weeks prior to the U.S. Election AmCham Bulgaria organized a discussion “U.S. Presidential Elections 2012: Sofia Perspective Debate” and invited established analysts, journalists and foreign businessmen to share their views

Events Overview 2012 21 on the platforms and prospects of the two presidential candidates. During the discussion speakers addressed also some hot topics of the presidential campaign in the US, including jobs and economy, government deficit, the role of government and governance, the role of America in the world, red lines: Israel and Iran, the rise of China and future challenges for America.

Among the speakers stand out W. Michael Easton, American University in Bulgaria, Stuart Till, Investor BG, David Hampson, Technology Transfer, David Wilmot, Technology Transfer, Eric C. De Sena, American Research Center in Sofia, Ognyan Minchev, Institute for Regional and International Studies, Solomon Passy, Atlantic Club Bulgaria, Ivo Hristov, Journalist and Petya Gueorguieva, New Bulgarian University. The discussion was moder- ated by the prominent journalist Boyko Vasilev.

Business Luncheon with U.S. Ambassador Marcie Ries October 30, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan

The U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Marcie B. Ries gave her first public speech during a Business Luncheon, organized by AmCham Bulgaria, and gathered over 200 guests, representing the business and diplomatic circles, state institutions, non-governmental organizations and the media. Ambassador Ries talked about the importance of the business ties between Bulgaria and the United States and endorsed the role of AmCham for strengthening the bilateral trade relationships.

The U.S. envoy elaborated on the partnership advantages for both countries in the sphere of counter-terrorism and law enforcement. Other topics that were touched upon included the Summer Work Travel Program, which is one of the largest exchange programs between the United States and Bulgaria, and some pressing energy policy issues with direct impact on Bulgarian economy, job creation and the protection of the Bulgarian consumers.

NOVEMBER

Business Ethics Conference November 12, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan

The American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, in partnership with the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Austrian Business Circle in Bulgaria, organized a conference on “Business Ethics: Main Principle behind Sustainable Business Environment”, under the auspices of the Bulgaria’s President Rossen Plevneliev.

The discussion about the importance of ethical behavior and the adoption of sound and transparent business practices attracted over 250 participants, representing the business and diplomatic circles, the government and the media. Among the special guest-speakers were the Minister of Justice Diana Kovacheva, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Totyu Mladenov, the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Marcie Ries, the German Ambassador Matthias Höpfner, the U.K. Ambassador Jonathan Allen and the Austrian Ambassador Gerhard Reiweger.

22 Events Overview 2012 Thanksgiving Community Dinner November 20, Central Military Club Sofia AmCham Bulgaria invited members, friends and families to the traditional AmCham Community Dinner to celebrate one of the most cherished American holidays – Thanksgiving Day. Over 200 guests attended the official event and made their kind contribution to the charitable causes behind it: the scholarship program “Get Ready to Succeed”, supporting the education of children and young people without parents, and employment initiatives for the disadvantaged youth for better prospects and opportunities in life. During the dinner AmCham Bulgaria raised a total of 58,400 BGN from the open bid and silent auction, and from individual scholarships worth 33,000 BGN graciously provided by Amgen Bulgaria, America for Bulgaria Foundation, AES Bulgaria, CMS Cameron McKenna, ContourGlobal, Dundee Precious Metals, Fama Consulting, Japan Tobacco International, Kempinski Zografski Sofia, Prestige 96, UniCredit Bulbank, and Vivacom.

Business Breakfast with PwC Bulgaria November 28, Grand Hotel Sofia Over 100 AmCham members – experts in law, accountancy and tax issues attended AmCham Business Breakfast with guest speaker Nikolay Kalistratov, Head of Appeals Department at the Appeals and Performance Management Directorate, Bulgarian National Revenue Agency. Main sub- jects of discussion were current issues in taxation and the appeal of tax audit acts. The breakfast was kindly sponsored by PwC Bulgaria.

DECEMBER

Roundtable Discussion Professionals at Schools with BNT and BCAF December 3, Vivacom Art Hall AmCham Bulgaria organized a round table discussion as a follow-up of the initiative “Professionals at schools”, launched during the autumn edition of the AmCham – BCAF Volunteer Day. Representatives of the volunteering companies, the inspectorate of education and the academia, as well as the Bulgarian National Television, gathered to discuss the results of the initiative allowing the business, ministers, and journalists to go to the classrooms for an open dialogue with the students about the prospects for professional development of the young people in Bulgaria.

AmCham – Christmas Party December 14, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan For yet another year AmCham X-mas Party gathered over 800 members, representatives of bilateral chambers and local business associations, partners, ambassadors, government officials and media, who came to network and celebrate Christmas in a jolly atmosphere. Guests enjoyed classical performances by Affettuoso Baroque Ensemble with leading soprano Christina Vassileva and blues, funk and soul by Dirty Purchase. U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Bulgaria Bryan Dalton, AmCham President Peter Lithgow and Executive Director Valentin Georgiev greeted the audience.

Events Overview 2012 23 AmCham Committees & Working Groups

Tax Committee

Co-Chairs: Mr. Paul Tobin, PricewaterhouseCoopers Mr. Milen Raikov, Ernst & Young Bulgaria Mission: promotes a modern tax framework based on best international practices, facilitates the correct and transparent implementation of the tax legislative system, and enhances stability and predictability in the tax system to support the positive development and growth of the Bulgarian economy. Activities in 2012 January 31, 2012 Business Breakfast sponsored by CMS Cameron McKenna on “BENEFICIAL OWNER” IN THE CONTEXT OF WITHHOLDING TAXATION: ISSUES AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS April 18, 2012 Discussion on THE TAX REFORM INITIATIVE OF AMCHAM AND THE OTHER BILATERAL CHAMBERS, UPCOMING TAX LAW AMENDMENTS AND CURRENT TRENDS guest speaker Lyudmila Petkova, Director of the Directorate, Tax Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Finance Comparative research, presented by Milen Raikov, Ernst & Young: – European practices regarding the procedures for filing an appeal to the tax authorities; – European practices regarding lower penalties in cases of voluntary disclosure of tax evasions. October 10, 2012 Discussion on THE CHANGES IN THE TAX REGIME Presented by: Atanas Mihaylov, Wolf Theiss November 28, 2012 Business Breakfast sponsored by PwC on TAXATION AND TAX PROCEDURES – TRENDS AND CURRENT ISSUES with guest speaker Nikolay Kalistratov, Head of Appeals Department at the Appeals and Performance Management Directorate, Bulgarian National Revenue Agency PLANS FOR 2013 The plans for 2013 will continue the good trend to present hot tax issues using the internal expertise of the committee members and in cooperation with experts from the administration.

Another priority is to follow-up on the tax reform initiative with experts from the Ministry of Finance and representatives from the parliamentary budget committee, in cooperation with other bilateral chambers.

24 AmCham Committees Human Resources Committee Co-Chairs: Ms. Dobromira Manasieva, VIVACOM Ms. Zlatina Kushkieva, Adecco Bulgaria Ltd Mission: provides a platform for HR professionals and consultants from multi-national and local companies to share, discuss and learn about the latest trends in HR sector as well as to collectively influence local policy and decision makers for effective solutions in labor legislation and education which will improve the Bulgarian labor market. Activities in 2012 February 22, 2012 ROMA – BULGARIA’S UNDERUTILIZED (HUMAN) CAPITAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS How could extending jobs to Roma candidates make your business more competitive? How can you diversify your workforce without investing resources in that? What is America for Bulgaria Foundation’s role in all this? Presented by: Natalia Miteva, America for Bulgaria Foundation March 9, 2012 PRODUCTIVITY. EFFECTIVENESS. EFFICIENCY. TOGETHER. NOW Presented by: Lyubov Georgieva, Country Manager at PEP worldwide – Bulgaria April 6, 2012 INTRAPRENEURSHIP Building proactive and entrepreneurial motivation and skills in the corporate team Presented by: Svetlan Stanoev and Tzvetelina Teneva, Managers at the Business Institutes – regional centre of the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute in Bulgaria June 1, 2012 HOW TO TRANSLATE INTANGIBLE INTO NUMBERS – EMPLOYEES ENGAGEMENT IN BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE Sponsored by: AON Bulgaria, AonHewitt Presented by: Mr. Hristo Borissov, CEO, Aon Bulgaria | Aon Risk Solutions Ms. Gergana Gancheva, Project Lead, AonHewitt Best Employers Study Bulgaria 2012 June 5, 2012 INTERNSHIPS PROJECT FOR SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS a program launched by Ministry of Education, Youth and Science Presented by: Evelina Christova, PhD, Ministry of Education, Youth and Science December 5, 2012 COACHING WITH NLP – HOW TO LIVE ACCORDING TO YOUR VALUES? Presentation of practical coaching examples; Presentation of coaching for goal setting; Exercises for work with personal values, dreams and specific realistic goals will be included in the presentation. Presented by: Magdalena Nikolova, MA Organizational Psychology, NLP Trainer, certified by John Grinder, CTI certified Business coach, NLP Training center

In 2013 AmCham HR Committee will take on labor law issues related to social security, sickness payment, food vouchers and working permits. The Committee will continue to encourage the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the field of Human Resources between members, as well as to strengthen the relations between business and higher education. Other aspects of Committee’s work will focus on youth employment issues and EU funding opportunities for developing Human Resources.

AmCham Committees 25 Corporate Social Responsibility Committee

Co-Chairs: Ms. Elitza Barakova, BCAF Mr. Roman Vasilev, Individual member

Mission: encourages and facilitates responsible business practices among AmCham members and supports them to improve the quality and effectiveness of their CSR programs and actions.

Activities in 2012 AmCham-BCAF Spring & Fall Volunteer Days 2012 Responsible Company – Responsible Employees!

XTH VOLUNTEER DAYS 13-20 October, 2012 EDUCATION. I CAN MAKE A CHANGE.

Responsible Companies – Responsible Employees For the fifth year in a row, AmCham and Bulgarian Charities Aid Foundation (BCAF) assembled members and friends to contribute time and talent to our community through meaningful volunteer engagements in May and October 2012. This time, we focused on education with the new initiative “Professionals at Schools” and tried to encourage our members to share their knowledge and experience with children and young people in Bulgarian schools.

For 3 weeks in October, professionals from AmCham member companies and journalists from the Bulgarian National Television talked about career development with students in the grades 5-12 in more than 30 schools within the country. Several Ministers of Bulgaria supported the initiative by entering in class and sharing experience with the students.

Our media partners were: Bulgarian National Television; SEGA newspaper; The Sofia Globe; Capital and Carriers newspaper; ECON.bg; Bulgarian National Radio

Roundtable Discussion Professionals at Schools, December 3 The event gathered the AmCham volunteering companies, media partners of the last campaign and representatives of schools and the educational inspectorate in Sofia. The participants focused on the results of the initiative “Professionals at schools” that allowed business, ministers, and journalists into the classrooms for an open dialogue with students on various topics. The cooperation between business, schools and educational institutions will continue in next year’s volunteer campaigns in the field of education.

Charity Fundraising & Donations AmCham charity fundraising initiatives were going through the whole year including: July 4th Raffles, the Business Ethics Conference held in November and the Thanksgiving Community Dinner plus several additional donations approved by the Board of Directors.

26 AmCham Committees AmCham Thanksgiving Dinner We are happy to report that at its Thanksgiving community dinner on November 20, 2012 AmCham in Bulgaria raised a total of 58,400 BGN for the project “Get Ready to Succeed”, employment initiatives for the disadvantaged young people and scholarships for school and university students.

• AmCham supported the Bulgarian Christmas charity initiative, held under the auspices of President Rosen Plevneliev. The Bulgarian Christmas charity initiative is underway for the 10th year. This year the campaign will focus primarily on therapy of children with neurological diseases. The American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Austrian Business Circle in Bulgaria (ABC) donated BGN 30,000 to the Bulgarian Christmas charity initiative, held under the auspices of President Rosen Plevneliev. The donation comes from the financial revenue of the conference “Business Ethics: The main principle behind a sustainable business environment” which was organized jointly by the three business associations on November 12, 2012.

• AmCham donated BGN 10,000 to the floods sufferers in Biser village in February 13, 2012.

• AmCham supported the International Women’s Club Charity Bazaar 2012 with a contribution of BGN 800 and a volunteer at the US stall.

• AmCham supported the memorial dedicated to the 100th anniversary of consular relations between United States and Bulgaria 1912 – 2012

The Board Members approved the financial support amounting to USD 5 000 for the memorial dedicated to the 100th anniversary of consular relations between United States and Bulgaria and Asen Kermekchiev, the first US Consular Agent.

AmCham Committees 27 Public Procurement and EU Funding Advisory Committee

Co-Chairs: David Hampson, AmCham Individual member Zlatina Ruseva-Savova, AmCham Individual member

Mission: to promote a transparent and modern public procurement framework based on best European and other international practices, to facilitate the correct and transparent implementation of the Bulgarian public procurement law and any legislation relevant to public private partnership, and to enhance stability and predictability of the public procurement tender award procedures in order to support the positive absorption of European Union funding in the country.

Activities in 2012 AmCham Public Procurement and EU Funding Advisory Committee was launched in September 2012 and it has so far organized three meetings discussing the Committee’s priorities and structure; the Public Private Partnership Act (entered into force on January 1, 2013); Committee representatives attended minister Tomislav Donchev public presentation of the draft EU Funding Management Act (December 2012). Given the strong interest within the AmCham membership, the Committee’s work is organized into three working groups, each one coordinated by one or two members. The working group coordinators will set up the Agenda 2013 of the respective group and information will be shared at the regular Committee meetings on bi-monthly basis. 1. Case Studies Working Group coordinators: Elina Vardeva-Nikolova, Siemens EOOD Katrine Petkova, ITT Exelis Main activities: • Problem solving in matters of public procurement (for example, a questionnaire shall be prepared to compile the experience and knowledge of the membership); • Bidder risks in selling to public purchasers across borders (USA – Bulgaria); • Technical disqualification and bid rejection; • Securing probity: debarment or black-listing and rehabilitation. 2. EU Funding Monitoring Working Group coordinators: Maria Yaneva, Ernst & Young Bulgaria EOOD Nevena Mladenova, Microsoft Bulgaria Main activities: • EU funding monitoring by targeted area (Operational Program) and Ministry allocation; • Tracking and monitoring of projects from announcement to award and execution; • Draft EU Funding Management Act. 3. Legislative Changes Working Group coordinators: Iva Todorova, IBM Bulgaria Plamena Georgieva, Dimitrov, Petrov & Co Main activities: • To identify and promote legislative changes in the field of Bulgarian public procurement and EU funding; • Regulatory compliance requirements and compliance risks; • Proper (and improper) procedures of the Bulgarian contracting authorities; • The proposed new EU directives; • The revised 2011 UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement..

28 AmCham Committees Quality Management Working Group

Chair: Ms. Vyara Stankova, Deputy General Manager, South Eastern Europe at Intertek

Group Mission: fosters the importance of quality control and standards for organizational management improvement and successful business; a meeting point of all those members of AmCham interested in quality management systems allowing them to share management practices among themselves, create benchmarks, start quality initiatives.

Activities in 2012 AmCham Quality Management Working Group was launched in September 2012 and organized two meetings to set up the working group’s priorities and to discuss the topic “Management of Integrated Management Systems”. Participants in the meetings from various business sectors actively shared their experiences regarding quality management.

The working group agenda focuses on the following priorities: a/ Sharing of experience and good practices related to significant aspects of business management; b/ Risk and Business Continuity Management in the dynamic global environment of today; c/ Integrated approach to management – quality, environmental, health and safety, information security, social accountability, business continuity, etc. d/ Providing information to AmCham members regarding the internationally recognized systematic approach to management e/ Introducing international standards related to quality, OHSAS, environment protection, risk and business continuity. f/ Provision of: – competent lecturers on topics related to business management – ground for thematic discussions and presenting of good management practices

AmCham Committees 29 AmCham Bulgaria: Our speakers

Rossen Plevneliev, Boyko Borissov, President of the Republic Prime Minister of the of Bulgaria Republic of Bulgaria

Marcie Ries, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Nikolay Mladenov, Totyo Mladenov, U.S. Ambassador Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Labour and to Bulgaria Minister of Interior Social Policy

Diana Kovatcheva, Matthias Höpfner, Jonathan Allen, Gerhard Reiweger, Minister of Justice Ambassador of the Federal Ambassador of the United Ambassador of the Republic of Germany Kingdom Republic of Austria

30 Our speakers Peter Lithgow, Bertram Rollmann, Bryan Dalton, Barbara Lapini, Country Manager of AES President, German- Deputy Chief of Mission, Senior Commercial Officer, Corporation and President Bulgarian Chamber of U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria of AmCham Bulgaria Commerce

Michael Angerer, Petya Evtimova, Dobromir Simidchiev, Borislav Stefanov, Austrian Trade Commissioner Deputy Minister of Deputy Minister of Regional Executive Director, in Bulgaria Education, Youth and Development and Public InvestBulgaria Agency Science Works

Daniel Berg, Solomon Passy, J. David Butts, Peter Jaffe, Director Bulgaria, EBRD CEO and Founder, Atlantic International Head of Vice President, Chief and Vice President of Club Bulgaria and AmCham Lifesciences Corporate Compliance Officer, AES AmCham Bulgaria Board Member M&A, CMS Cameron Corporation McKenna and AmCham Board Member

Our speakers 31 Varel Freeman, Douglas Pinkham, Tobias Webb, Luca Maria Liberatore, First Vice President, President, Public Affairs Founder, Ethical Director International European Bank for Council, Washington D.C. Corporation, London HealthCare Compliance, Reconstruction and Amgen Development

Wolfgang Wurzer, Andreas Maierhofer, Valentina Dikanska, Peter Simon, Cluster Compliance Officer Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, BASF Country Manager, ABB CEE, Siemens Mobiltel Bulgaria Bulgaria

Zoya Paunova, Boyko Vassilev, W. Michael Easton, Stuart Till, Country Manager, Astra Journalist President, American CEO, Investor BG Zeneca Bulgaria University in Bulgaria

32 Our speakers David Hampson, Eric C. De Sena, David Wilmot, Ognian Minchev, Chairman, Technology Director, American Partner, Technology Institute for Regional and Transfer Research Center in Sofia Transfer International Studies

Ivo Hristov, Petia Gueorguieva, Giuseppe Gramigna, Aidan Manktelow, Prof. Gary Cadenhead, Journalist Erasmus Coordinator, Chief Economist, Director of the MSTC Program Director, New Bulgarian University U.S. Small Business Economist Magazine University of Texas Administration Corporate Network for Europe, Economist Intelligence Unit

Ms. Wendy Kopp, Nikolay Kalistratov, Gergana Gancheva, Anelia Tatarova, CEO & Co-Founder, Teach Head of Appeals Executive Director, Aon Former Head of Tax For All Department, Bulgarian Bulgaria Practice, CMS Cameron National Revenue Agency McKenna

Our speakers 33 International Cooperation

Global Business Conference, 21-22 February 2012, Washington DC, USA

Presidents or Executive Directors of AmChams representing approximately 120 countries, took part in the US State Department Global Business Conference in February 2012. AmCham Bulgaria Executive Director was present at the discussions which we were led by distinguished speakers such as the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Secretary of Commerce John Bryson, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Mike Froman, and even US Vice President Joe Biden.

AmCham Visits Turkish American Business Association (TABA) and American Business Forum of Turkey (ABFT), February 2012, Istanbul, Turkey

The Chamber’s Board visited in February in Istanbul the American Business Forum of Turkey (ABFT) and the Turkish American Business Association (TABA) to examine the current economic environment and investment climate in Turkey and Bulgaria as well as the opportunities for tightening the bilateral trade relations and future cooperation between the member companies of the three associations. Within this context, the meetings focused on common concerns and benefits, investment related information and provided concrete views and insights on specific investment incentives, “Best Practices” in the field of public private partnerships, energy and infrastructure. Peter Lithgow, Alex Nestor, Petya Dimitrova and Solomon Passy from the AmCham Board as well as Barbara Lapini, the U.S. Commercial Attaché and Valentin Georgiev, Executive Director took part in the meetings.

Annual Brussels Briefing of AmChams in Europe, March 21-23, 2012 Brussels, Belgium

Senior AmCham managers from all over Europe gathered in Brussels for their annual Brussels briefing to share best practices in creating a suit- able climate for the American investment in Europe and define the top priorities for business in Europe for 2012. EU Policies, funding and invest-

34 International Cooperation ment prospects for the EU and US were main topics during the briefing. Networking meetings took place at the European Parliament with MEPs, national Permanent Representatives, US Mission to the EU personnel and AmCham EU members. The Transatlantic Conference brought together policymakers, senior private sector executives and academics from the EU and US to discuss the key features of a renewed Transatlantic Agenda, taking both the challenges and opportunities presented by the current economic context into account.

AmChams in Europe: Transatlantic Conference, May 8 – 11, 2012, Washington DC, USA

The Transatlantic Conference focused on the policy network: Transatlantic Week 2012 “Challenges ahead: Transatlantic Jobs and Growth”. Among the discussed topics were: research and innovation, trade and investment, the digital agenda, resource management. AmChams in Europe had meetings with Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. State Department; roundtable sessions with the US State Department; meetings with heads of transatlantic associations; meeting with Matthew Murray, deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia, US Department of Commerce. The discussions of the topics continued further with the management of the US Chamber of Commerce.

Business Trip to the Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 10 – 13, 2012, Las Vegas, USA

A delegation of Bulgarian reps from the U.S. Commercial Service in Bulgaria, AmCham Bulgaria, as well as AmCham member companies, attended the world major technology-related trade show. Contacts with international companies and reps of US commercial service globally were made. The Bulgarian group was invited to join the global matchmaking and international reception at CES in Las Vegas Convention Center on Jan. 10, 2012. Firms had the opportunity to demonstrate their products and to network with potential customers.

Business Trip to the Waste Expo, April 30 – May, 2012, Las Vegas, USA

A delegation of Bulgarian reps from U.S. Commercial Service in Bulgaria, AmCham Bulgaria and more than 16 Bulgarian mayors visited the expo. The Bulgarian delegation shared US experience in collecting and processing of waste disposal. Delta Mechanical company organized a visit of waste disposal purifying factory.

International Cooperation 35 Business Trip to the International Franchise Expo June 15 – 17, 2012

A delegation of Bulgarian reps from U.S. Commercial Service in Bulgaria, AmCham Bulgaria and Bulgarian companies with special interest in the food and beverage sector visited the expo to meet hundreds of proven franchised businesses representing every industry and investment level. Franchising companies at the expo offered concepts at all investment levels.

US – Bulgaria Ambassadors’ Business Road Show with the participation of the President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev May 14-18, 2012

The delegation visited Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Jose.

Business Delegation accompanies the State visit of the President Rosen Plevneliev to Israel, 21 – 24 October 2012

Several AmCham companies and the AmCham President Peter Lithgow took part in the business delegation to Israel. Except for the visit of the Memorial Complex Yad Vashem, the top notch delegation had meetings in the Hi Tech Park in Jerusalem; met with the CEO and members of the BoD and Israeli companies’ members of IAESI – Israeli Association of Electronics and Software Industries; visited Weizmann Institute of Science.

36 International Cooperation Financial Report 2012 BUDGET 2013

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BUDGET 2012-2013

Total Total Total Budget 2012 Actual 2012 Budget 2013

INCOME Mem. Fees Current members 520,000 477,000 533,000 Mem. Fees – New members 56,000 23,000 Events 370,000 428,200 450,000 AmCham Publications 100,000 90,600 100,000 TOTAL BGN: 990,000 1,051,800 1,106,000

EXPENSES Events 330,000 410,500 420,000 AmCham Publications 100,000 98,400 100,000 Salaries 316,000 285,000 342,000 Other administrative costs 220,000 240,500 230,000 TOTAL BGN: 966,000 1,034,400 1,092,000

SURPLUS (DEFICIT) 24,000 17,400 14,000

Financial Report 2012 37 AmCham Bulgaria Publications in 2012

Investors’ Brochure “United States and Bulgaria: Building Bridges through Business” – a guide for the U.S. Embassy-AmCham roadshow to the U.S. in May 2012. The guide served as an information tool for the US businesses with regard to investment opportunities in Bulgaria.

Monthly AmCham Bulgaria Magazine The official monthly publication of the American Chamber is a primary forum for political and economic analyses, highlighting of business opportunities and AmCham-related news. Every month 2,000 copies reach AmCham members, leading Bulgaria companies, business centers, international hotel chains, the U.S. Embassy and the other diplomatic missions as well as the AmCham international network.

AmCham Bulgaria Yearbook The AmCham Yearbook is up-to-date and sophisticated business guide. It is a valuable reference guide for both current members and potential members with an active interest in the Bulgarian market.

AmCham Daily News Every morning AmCham members receive a summary of the local news highlighting recent developments in the world of business, politics and international relations.

AmCham Bulgaria Website On www.amcham.bg you can find detailed information about the American Chamber of Commerce – activities, list of members, upcoming events and announcements, reports, Chamber’s committees, media coverage and archive of past events.

Annual AmCham Bulgaria Report AmCham annual report is an assessment of the Chamber’s activities, lobbying, regional cooperation, finances and publications.

38 Bulgaria Publications in 2012 AmCham Bulgaria In the Media in 2012

In 2012 the events, activities and initiatives of AmCham Bulgaria were covered and quoted over 230 times with thousands of views per page in the Bulgarian TV stations, press, Internet media, and radio. AmCham gave many interviews for the Bulgarian media. In particular wide scale media interest was drawn on several occasions: 1. Business Ethics Conference, Nov. 12, 2012 – over 17 TV-s and other media coverages and interview of David Butts, CMS Cameron McKenna; 2. BL with Ambassador Marcie Ries, Oct. 30, 2012 – over 15 TV and other media coverages; 3. US Election Discussion, Sofia, Oct. 24, 2012 – over 14 TV-s and other Партньорство media covered the event; Валентин Георгиев: 4. Volunteer Fall Days and AmCham participation in Ministers’ lessons, София тех парк ще Oct. 13 – over 35 coverages in TV-s and other media; доведе американски 5. BL with the Interior Minister инвеститори Tzvetan Tzvetanov, June 18th, 2012 Професионалният път – over 20 coverages; на Валентин Георгиев е вплетен между частна- та практика и работа в държавни институции. След като завършва юридическия факултет на СУ, започва кариерата си във външнотъргов- ска организация. Следва работа в междуна- Media reports appeared in: родноправния отдел на Министерство на външно-икономическите връзки, където участва в първите спогодби за TV channels: BNT, bTV, Nova TV, двустранно насърчаване и защита на инвестици- Evropa TV, TV 7, TV+; Economy.bg TV, ите още преди промени- те. Влиза в Съвета по нормативни актове към Bulgaria on Air TV МС при правителство- то на Филип Димитров по време на първите големи законодателни Radio&Internet media: Bulgarian инициативи в новата бизнес среда. В САЩ National Radio, Darik Radio; Radio получава специализация по макроикономика и чуждестранни инвес- Focus; Econ.bg, BGNES, BTA; Novinite. тиции, последвана от стаж в американска адвокатска кантора. Êúñìåòëèè ñìå, ÷å áóðèòå â ÅÑ íå íè çàñåãíàõà, com; Dnevnik online, The Sofia Globe, След завръщането си в íî Áúëãàðèÿ îùå å íà îïàøêàòà, êàçâà България взима участие èçïúëíèòåëíèÿò äèðåêòîð íà Àìåðèêàíñêàòà като адвокат в най-голе- Dir.bg, Blitz, Actualno.com; мия проект по Програма òúðãîâñêà êàìàðà â Áúëãàðèÿ (ÀmCham) ФАР, поставил основа на масовата приватизация. Press: Capital Daily and Weekly, Klasa, В периода 1997-2001 г. СВЕТЛАНА ЖЕЛЕВА Това, което в момента правим в е главен секретар на На- родното събрание, а от камарата, е да помагаме на Търговска- Sega Daily, Pressa, Bulgaria Today, 2002 г. е изпълнителен - Г-н Георгиев, в кои сектори в та служба към посолстовото на САЩ директор на Американ- момента са насочени интересите на за организиране на различни изложения ската търговска камара американските компании у нас? в Америка в областта на електроника- Politika, Trud, 24 Chasa, Monitor, (АмЧам), където успява да приложи дългогодиш- - Това са информационните и теле- та, пречистване на водите, информа- Standard Daily, Telegraph, Stroitel ния си опит в работа с комуникационни технологии, електрони- ционни технологии, енергетика, медии, чуждестранни и преди ката, енергетиката, застрахователно франчайзинг. Повечето се случват в всичко американски ин- и банково дело, консултантските Лас Вегас, Флорида, Ню Йорк - те са Newsp., Gradat Media Group, b2b веститори. услуги, стоки за бита. най-големите в света. Magazine, Economy Magazine, ICT 50 Икономика magazine

In the Media in 2012 39 Николай Младенов: Имаме бъдеще с Турция като партньори на Балканите и в ЕС

Николай Младенов Фотограф: Красимир Юскеселиев 23.04.2012 България възнамерява да засили икономическите и политическите си контакти с всички свои съседи, сред които е и Турция, заяви външният министър Николай Младенов в съобщение, разпространено от Министерството на външните работи.

"България и Турция споделят не само общо историческо и културно наследство, но и нещо още по-важно – общо бъдеще в Европа, сега, когато Турция е на път да се присъедини към ЕС", заяви Младенов на бизнес дискусия на Турско-американската бизнес асоциация и Американската търговска камара.

40 In the Media in 2012 Audit Report 2011

Audit Report 2011 41 42 Audit Report 2011 Audit Report 2011 43 44 Audit Report 2011 American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria

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