Petia Dimitrova, CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank
19.08.2017
WHEN I COMMUTE TO WORK, I AM busy. I use the commute to organize my day, priorities and tasks, to prepare for what is about to come. If I have to describe it in a few words, they are: busy, focused, motivated and inspired. I usually leave early and I often stay up late at night, usually I work 12 hours a day, but that doesn’t bother me because I love my job.
I LOVE WHAT I DO, BECAUSE I believe that the solutions we offer to our customers at Postbank make their lives better and their business more competitive. We have always been and will continue to be their trusted partner, because the real measure of my work and that of my team is the success of our clients. For me, a good leader does business with all their heart, draws motivation from challenges and takes care of the clients and the team. I am glad that at the end of each working day I feel even more enthusiastic about the next one and what I do brings me personal satisfaction.
SUCCESS CAN NEVER COME WITHOUT strong motivation. In my opinion, this is the key ingredient in the formula for success, along with a lot of hard work and a small dose of luck. Success comes with perseverance and a tremendous amount of work, but without the belief that what you do is worthwhile and that doing it well really matters, you can’t expect to succeed.
In our team at Postbank we care a lot about the individual qualities of each manager, but the team spirit is also important. We set goals that are high, and we strive to surpass our own achievements in order to achieve them. For us, difficulties and obstacles can only be an incentive to grow.
BIG IDEAS AND GOALS ARE BORN in the team game. The best leader is the one who is surrounded by a good team, and I am grateful to all professionals we work with at Postbank. We strive to stimulate thinking outside the box by creating our own innovation lab, where many good ideas for products and services are born and then offered to our customers. I trust my team – for the most important tasks I rely on people who have proven their qualities.
POSITIVE THINKING MEANS belief in one’s own abilities. Positive thinking is good, but we must act and be proactive in order to move forward personally and professionally, and feel rewarded. In tense situations, I believe that good preparation helps more than positive thinking. However, even in these moments, I try to encourage my colleagues to think positively, to believe that they will succeed, and to pass on to them the confidence we have as one of the leaders in the banking sector.
I TOLERATE RISK WHEN it is justified. Striving for challenges is a part of my life, I am not afraid to take risks, because I believe that it is better to lead and pave paths than to follow in somebody else’s steps. This is especially true for business, where in order to stand out, you must not just be good, but be innovative and set market trends, as we do at Postbank. When creating new products and offering innovative services, we take the risk of being pioneers and meeting the needs of customers even before they realize what they are. This is our strategy that sets us apart in the market and makes our work successful and rewarding.
I WILL NEVER STOP BELIEVING IN persistence. I believe that success comes to those who are prepared, and I know that those who work for their success succeed. If a person believes in their abilities and does not wait for the right moment, but acts now, if they love what they do and constantly improve, they stand a much bigger chance to succeed.
THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE ME LAUGH is a nice and appropriate joke. It is important to look at everyday situations with a sense of humor, laughter can be such an ice-breaker.
MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK IS today, because this is the day when we can do what we want and be what we want to be. There is no point in looking back with nostalgia or dreaming without acting today, because “the future is here” – and this is the main message of our bank this year.
THE INNOVATORS I AM GOING TO FOLLOW ARE the young managers of Postbank – these are the people who inspire me with their ambition and desire to develop, move forward and improve with each passing day. Otherwise, I follow world-class innovators who live more in the future than in the present – a favorite example is entrepreneur Saku Tuominen, who works tirelessly to rethink best practices in education and help schools around the world implement and share them.
I believe in his goal to turn schools into a place where life skills are developed in a globalized world.
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Petia Dimitrova is Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank. She is member of the management boards of the Association of Banks in Bulgaria, the Confederation of the Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria, BORICA Bank Service, Atanas Bourov Foundation, the University Council of the American University in Bulgaria, the International Banking Institute, the International Banking Institute, the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and the Young Global Leaders Forum, part of the World Economic Forum.
Her career began in the consulate department of the US Embassy in Sofia, and then she joined PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a senior manager and senior auditor. She joined the team of Postbank in 2003 as Country CFO for the eight affiliated companies of Eurobank EFG Group in Bulgaria. In 2005 was appointed Procurator of the Bank. In 2007 she was appointed Executive Director and Member of the MB of DZI Bank. After the legal merger of DZI Bank and Postbank she became Executive Director and Member of MB of the unified bank. In 2012, Mrs. Dimitrova became Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank. Under her leadership, Postbank completed in 2016 the acquisition and integration in a record short-term time of Alfa Bank – Bulgaria Branch, which is yet another step to strengthen its position as a systemic for the bank market and to expand its customer base. Petia Dimitrova has received over 20 prestigious Bulgarian and international awards, the latest of them being Banker of the Year and Mrs. Economy.
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THE MANAGER ABOUT THE COMPANY
Postbank, legally named Eurobank Bulgaria AD, is the fifth largest bank in Bulgaria in terms of assets, occupying a leading position in consumer and corporate lending. The bank has been present among the leaders in the banking market for over 25 years and is a leading factor in innovation and the setting of trends in the sector in recent years, repeatedly awarded for its innovations. It is one of the market leaders in credit and debit cards, home and consumer lending, savings products, and in terms of products for corporate clients. The bank has one of the best developed branch networks and modern alternative banking channels.
