New BSTDB Vice President Finance Assumed Duties

Press Release | 09-Jan-2006

Following the proposal of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, the BSTDB Board of Directors appointed Ms. Sophia Kassidova as Vice President Finance of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. Ms. Kassidova took up her duties as of January 9, 2006, upon expiration of the term of office of Mr. Plamen Petrov.

Ms Kassidova started banking career in 1995 with responsible positions at the Ionian Bank of Greece (Sofia branch) and then Hex Capital (Czech Republic). In 1997 she joined the Bulgarian National Bank as a Chief Expert in International and Multilateral Financing department. In 1999, she moved to the State Savings Bank of Bulgaria as a Project Manager. From 2000 to 2001, she was in charge of the Bulgarian and the Balkans coverage at the Credit Suisse First Boston Bank in Czech Republic.

In 2001, Ms Kassidova was appointed Deputy Minister of Economy of Bulgaria in charge of the EU accession negotiations and relations with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on trade and macroeconomic policy issues. In 2003, she assumed duties of Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications responsible for the EU accession negotiations and management of large-scale projects financed by EIB and EU. She has also served as Chair of the Managing Board of the Sofia Airport and Chair of Supervisory Board of Biochim Bank (Bulgaria). From March 2002 to April 2003 Ms. Kassidova served as Co-Chair of Working Table 2 (Economic Reconstruction, Development and Co-operation) of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe. From 2002 to 2005 she represented Bulgaria on the Board of Directors of the BSTDB.

Ms Kassidova has a Masters degree in International Banking and Financial Services from the University of Reading (UK), and a Masters diploma in Economics from the University of the State of New York & CEU.

She is the author of several publications in the field of foreign investments, privatization and SMEs.

Ms Kassidova speaks Bulgarian, English, Russian, Czech and Spanish.