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High knowledge, competence key for success of Bulgaria's outsourcing sector - McKinsey

Fri, Nov 12 2010 08:26 CET

bySeeNews

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High knowledge, competence key for success of Bulgaria's outsourcing sector - McKinsey

Economy Mininster Traicho Traikov and Sasha Bezuhanova, director of public sector at Hewlett Packard Central and Eastern Europe, talk on the sidelines of the 'Realising the Potential: Bulgaria on the Outsourcing and Off-shoring Map' in Sofia on November 11.
Photo: Krassimir Yuskesseliev

A high level of knowledge and competence are crucial for the success of the outsourcing and offshoring sectors in Bulgaria, Peter Peters, a principal in global IT practice at consulting firm McKinsey and Company, said on November 11 2010.

"Bulgaria can develop its outsourcing and offshoring sectors not so much through advertising low-cost, but through high knowledge and competence," Peters said at a conference entitled "Realising the Potential - Bulgaria on the Outsourcing and Off-shoring Map".

According to Peters, the country needs to diversify the industries it targets with its outsourcing services.
 
"Bulgaria can become the Silicon Valley of the Black Sea [area] with the united efforts of business, the government and academia," Peters said.

To become a leading outsourcing/offshoring destination by 2020, Bulgaria needs a two-pronged strategy, he said.

The first would be to make tactical changes as soon as possible, such as raising funding from public/private sponsors; initiatives to improve the availability of suitable talent; identification of focus areas for local outsourcing/offshoring players and ensuring targeted demand stimulation for each focus area.

The second would be structural changes in the long term: structural changes to the education system to increase, two or threefold, the number of suitable engineers produced by Bulgaria; setting up a programme to encourage Bulgarian expatriates to return to the country; and assuring competitive costs of operations driven by a larger suitable talent pool and highly reliable, cost-effective enabling infrastructure.

A McKinsey survey in 139 countries worldwide identified five factors that would encourage the development of the outsourcing industry: infrastructure, financial capital, business environment, human capital and local demand. According to the survey, Bulgaria scored below average in the five factors.

The Sofia Echo and SeeNews were media partners of the event, which was hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, the InvestBulgaria Agency and Colliers International.

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Appointments

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Employment Agency

Kamelia Lozanova has been appointed the executive director of the Employment Agency, a position she has held ad interim since September 2011, following the resignation of her predecessor Rossitsa Stelianova. Prior to that, Lozanova was the agency's deputy executive director in charge of international projects and European programmes. She has been with the agency for more than 20 years. Lozanova has a degree in Slavonic philology from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.

Uniqa

Uniqa

Gloria Dimitrova has been appointed executive director and member of the managing board at Uniqa Life Insurance Bulgaria. Dimitrova began her career in 1998 at the insurance supervision directorate, but moved to the private sector and worked for professional services and insurance brokerage firm Marsh&McLennan and US insurer AIG, both in Bulgaria and the Middle East. She joined Uniqa as regional director for Sofia in 2010. Dimitrova has a degree in economics from the University for National and World Economy in Sofia and a master's degree in insurance from the Business Academy in Svishtov.

Kamenitza

Kamenitza

Yassen Lyubenov is the new head of marketing at Bulgarian beer brewer Kamenitza. Lyubenov has 12 years of experience in marketing in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and has started his career as assistant brand manager at Kraft Foods Bulgaria. He later became brand manager at Wrigley Bulgaria, with responsibilities for Bulgaria and Macedonia. Prior to joining Kamenitza, he was senior marketing manager at Wrigley Russia, where he was in charge of brand expansion into Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Lyubenov has a bachelor's degree in international business administration from the University of Lincoln, UK.

Beiersdorf

Beiersdorf

Bedros Kalfayan, general manager of skin care and cosmetics company Beiersdorf Bulgaria, will oversee the parent's company units in Romania and Moldova starting April 1. Following company restructuring, Beiersdorf's subsidiaries in the three countries were merged and are now one unit, part of Beiersdorf Central and Eastern Europe. Kalfayan joined Beiersdorf in 2007 as sales manager and was promoted to general manager in 2008. Prior to that, he worked for Axxon Bulgaria, Ferrero and Rubella. Kalfayan has a master's degree in industrial management from the Technical University in Sofia.

Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard

Sasha Bezuhanova has been appointed Hewlett-Packard public sector director for emerging markets, where she will oversee HP public sector activities in 63 countries, including Bulgaria. Bezuhanova will also be in charge of HP's relations with the European Union. Bezuhanova has been HP's public sector director for Central and Eastern Europe since 2008; before that she was general manager of HP Bulgaria since 1998. Bezuhanova has a master's degree in electronics from the Technical University in Sofia and has completed a managment programme at INSEAD.

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