More than 20 companies and civic organizations have signed the document in the last year
The Bulgarian Diversity Charter, a joint project of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF) and the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) aiming to encourage diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, held its annual meeting on 14 May 2025 at the Hilton Hotel in Sofia. The event became possible thanks to the support of gold partners FANTASTICO GROUP and Lion’s Head, silver partners Shell Bulgaria, Lidl Bulgaria, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Bulgaria and bronze partner Latecoere Bulgaria. The meeting traditionally brings together the community of Charter signatories and supporters to promote the importance and benefits of creating diverse teams and an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and respected regardless of their individual characteristics and has equal opportunities for development.
In addition, the event provides an excellent platform for sharing practical experience and good examples of belonging and solidarity in a professional environment. It also includes a welcome ceremony for the newest Charter signatories. CEOs of more than 20 organisations that have signed the document since last May had the chance to share their motivation to implement corporate equality and social inclusion policies and network with peers. The meeting takes place in May to mark EU Diversity Month , a celebration of respect and solidarity in and out of the workplace that brings together all 27 national Charters and their more than 17 000 signatories. The event in Sofia brought together more than 70 representatives of various stakeholders – public sector, responsible business and civic organizations. Official guests were Lazar Lazarov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Boyko Takov PhD, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), Dimitar Markov, Director of CSD’s Law Program, and Levon Hampartzoumian, BBLF President. “Diversity policies in the workplace create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential, and are a key factor for sustainable economic growth and social well-being. We are delighted to see Charter signatories have grown for another year, and our efforts will continue,” BBLF President Levon Hampartzoumian said.
“The Diversity Charter is an incentive for advance in the field of non-discrimination, social inclusion and equality between women and men,” Lazar Lazarov, Deputy Minister of Labour Social Policy said, emphasising that companies make a voluntary commitment to diversity. The joint efforts of the state and the business comminity positively influence the quality of life of all, he added.
Dimitar Markov, Director of CSD’s Law Program, noted the challenges diversity values have faced in recent months on a global scale: “Our sincere thanks go to the companies that choose to join the Charter at this time, to implement diversity and inclusion policies and to support our event.”
Antoaneta Georgieva, Team, Training and Development Director at FANTASTICO GROUP, presented inspiring stories about the equal chance all employees are given, and a shared a video about the first cash desk that was adapted for an employee with mobility challenges. “One might think it’s easy when you have 3,500 employees to achieve diversity, but actually at the heart of it all is our willingness and actual steps to provide accessibility and equality for all,” she said.
In the panel discussion that followed, Kamelia Slaveykova, member of the BBLF Board of Directors and Chairperson of Shell’s Board of Directors, Radoslava Petkova, Program Manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Bulgaria, and Valeria Doycheva, Head of Lidl Bulgaria’s Diversity and Inclusion Program, presented the joint project Building Bridges, which aims to promote best DEI practice among small and medium-sized businesses in this country. Following a survey conducted by CSD, the three companies have started to upload practical resources in a digital hub to facilitate peers at smaller firms and to hold a series of relevant free training sessions. With the partnership of BSMPA, these training sessions will reach an even larger number of SMEs, Executive Director Boyko Takov pointed out.
The following new Diversity Charter signatories attended the ceremony: Access Drum, Ekotoi Service, VDG, Ruepoint, Women in Banking and Finance Association, Young Talents Bulgaria, SoftServe Bulgaria, Tiger Technology, GLAS Foundation, AgilePool, USIT COLOURS, Fantastico Group. They presented their activities and priorities and received official Charter membership certificates from Deputy Minister Lazar Lazarov, BBLF President Levon Hampartzoumian and Lion’s Head Commercial Director Stela Zlatkova. The host of the event was Iva Doichinova, teacher and mentor at M3 College.
