Svetoslav Ivanov is the new co-chairman of the "Energy and Mineral Resources" committee of AmCham Bulgaria

§ The American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria organizes a "Welcome" event with H.E. Kenneth Merten, the US Ambassador to Bulgaria.

§ His mandate begins on the eve of the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the USA.

§ Olivier Marquet, President, ATC: "Only together can we continue to build stronger relations in the many strategic sectors between the two countries."

Svetoslav Ivanov, executive director, Overgas Inc. AD, is the new co-chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (ACC) in Bulgaria. His election was confirmed by the Chamber's Board of Directors.

"We value your personal energy, dedication and commitment to contribute to further progress on the energy topic within the Chamber and thus - to endorse the energy sector with a firm position towards decarbonisation and green transition", Ivan Mihailov said in his welcome, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber.

Svetoslav Ivanov is the executive director of one of the largest commercial companies on the Bulgarian natural gas market - Overgas Inc. AD. He is the chairman of the Bulgarian Natural Gas Association. A well-known expert in the field of natural gas in Bulgaria and in Europe, Svetoslav Ivanov was the driving force behind several editions of the National Program for Accelerated Gasification. He is also the author of a number of publications and studies.

Svetoslav Ivanov has a master's degree in Industrial Management (German Faculty of Engineering Education and Industrial Management, Technical University - Braunschweig), as well as in Automation of Electric Drives (Technical University - Sofia).

Objectives:

§ Reduction of the carbon intensity of the Bulgarian energy industry.

§ Increasing energy efficiency and reducing the energy intensity of the Bulgarian economy.

§ Reducing the direct influence of the state in market relations and thereby improving the conditions for doing business in Bulgaria.

Motivation

In his cover letter, Svetoslav Ivanov wrote: "There is no way that modern Bulgarian society is not interested in its economic present and future development. People have not yet invented any other objective method of assessing well-being than the economic one. I believe that Overgas Inc. AD can be an example of an optimal balance between economic prosperity with a strong concern for the environment and future generations. This can complement AmCham's efforts to improve the investment climate in Bulgaria."

"I will work to make the expert and political discussions about the Bulgarian energy sector a real "Conversation about energy" and not just about the production of electricity. We need a more meaningful question "What do we need for the production of electricity in Bulgaria", he also points out.

Priorities of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria

ATK's priorities remain stable and include: Regional and Transatlantic Advocacy, Regional and International Initiatives, Sustainable Business Climate, Investment Environment and Rule of Law, Digital Economy and Innovation, Human Capital Development.

Among the priority sectors for the Chamber are: energy, healthcare, education, digitalization, labor market and production.

For the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria

The American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria (AmCham Bulgaria, ATK) has been the voice of the Transatlantic Economy in Bulgaria for over 28 years. It unites nearly 330 American, multinational and Bulgarian companies with a proven reputation.

The Chamber is a member of the association of American Chambers of Commerce in Europe (ACE, AmChams in Europe), and is a partner of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. Supports the Three Seas Initiative since 2019.