Petia Dimitrova, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank with Manager magazine

5 November 2018

Ms. Dimitrova, are there feminine and masculine management styles and which one is more effective?
 
Today’s business environment needs people with a vision, innovative approach and excellent training – qualities which are determined by one’s personality, not sex. I see the teamwork management style as the most effective because it facilitates the exchange of various ideas, viewpoints and decisions. This is why I strive to maintain a balance in Postbank’s teams but, most of all, I demand professionalism and sense of responsibility from the people I work with. I admire strong personalities with innovative ideas and ambition, who predict the trends and thus move the world forward. I would like to specifically thank the young managers at Postbank, who fuel the company with energy and innovative ideas.
 
Is Bulgaria a good place for a woman to build a career in management?
Bulgaria provides many opportunities for career development to anyone willing to work and grow, regardless if it is a man or a woman. I believe one could definitely have a successful career although climbing the career ladder is a hard path and involves discipline and self-improvement. Success is hard to achieve without the everyday support of employers. This is why, we strive to constantly improve our employees’ skills and open new horizons for them. As part of this process, we have recently launched a new strategic partnership with SoftUni in support of education. Our project is aimed at preparing young people for the jobs of the future, on the one hand, and at training our employees for the state-of-the-art digital challenges, on the other hand.
 
Petia Dimitrova answers to:
Iravan Hira
What inspires you to wake up early in the morning or keeps you fresh until late at night?
I am inspired by many and different things – from my children’s smiles to the professional challenges I tackle every day. Most of my workdays are 12 hours long but this is no burden to me because I really love what I do and I feel satisfied at the end of the day.
 

What would you advise young women who want to succeed in business or at work?
They should be active, proactive, curious and always ready to learn on the move, to get inspired from the good examples around them and improve themselves. I would also advise them to look at details without losing sight of the general picture. Every day gives a valuable lesson – success means recognizing it and managing it. It is important to set the right goal and systematically pursue it. One should never forget life is not just a career and a career is not “just a job”.
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Career
 
Petia Dimitrova is Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank. She is a member of the Management Boards of Borica, Atanas Bourov Foundation, Endeavor Bulgaria Association and the International Banking Institute. She is also a member of the University Council of the American University in Bulgaria. She has won over 20 prestigious Bulgarian and international awards. Petia Dimitrova is a chartered accountant, qualified ACCA member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in London, and has an Executive MBA degree in General Management from the University of Sheffield, UK, and two MA degrees in Finances and Banking, and in Tourism from the University of National and World Economy, and from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. She is married with two children.

 
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About the company
 
Postbank, legally named Eurobank Bulgaria AD, is the fifth biggest bank in Bulgaria in terms of assets, manages a broad branch network across the country and provides modern, alternative banking channels. Postbank has 27-year presence as one of the leaders in Bulgaria’s banking sector and a considerable customer base of consumers, companies and institutions. The bank is a decisive factor in innovations, in shaping the country’s banking trends in recent years and has been awarded many times for its innovations. Postbank has developed a number of projects related to social responsibility and sustainable development of business and society.