Rosen Plevneliev is the fourth democratically elected Bulgarian President.
Born on 14 May 1964. Graduated Technical University in Sofia, specializing in computer science.
Until 2009 Plevneliev is a successful entrepreneur. He implemented more than 80 construction projects in Germany. Co-founder and CEO of large-scale international real estate projects in Bulgaria such as Business Park Sofia, Residential Park Sofia, Residential Park Lozen. In his capacity as a top manager and CEO of large international construction and real estate company Lindner Group, he was a member of the Board of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria – KRIB, Board member of the American Chamber of Commerce and of the German-Bulgarian Industrial and Trade Organization.
Plevneliev entered politics in 2009 serving as a minister of regional development and public works until 2011. He introduced a new approach in the management of European Union funds; started thousands of projects for the modernization of the Bulgarian regions; elaborated a new long-term strategy for highway and road construction; initiated a national energy efficiency program.
Plevneliev was elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria in November 2011 and served as a Head of State for the period 2012-2017. His mandate was difficult and demanding, during а time of an extraordinary instability in the region, Europe, and around the world.
Plevneliev is a passionate democratic and pro-Euro-Atlantic politician. In his speeches and with his actions he defended the European values and built up Bulgarian democratic institutions. He believed and worked hard for strong democratic Bulgaria in a strong European Union.
As a president, he initiated the National Development Program – Bulgaria 2020 and the Bulgaria 2030 debate. He set long-term national priorities such as innovations, e-government, e-voting, ambitious modernization program, connectivity, vocational education system, long-term public planning, energy efficiency, liberalization, and diversification. He established and is the patron of the first innovation ecosystem and the first hi-tech park in Bulgaria and on the Balkans as of the hi-tech industries – ICT, Outsourcing, and Automotive.
Plevneliev received large international recognition and has been awarded the highest state awards and orders of honor of twenty states, including Germany, France, Austria, Italy, and many others.
Awarded Politician of the Year in Bulgaria in 2011 and 2012.
He is a bearer of the European personality of the year in the Southeastern Europe award in 2015.
He was awarded as Person of the Year 2015 in Ukraine.
He was awarded the Friend of Zion Award for 2017 as a great friend of Israel.
He was awarded IT Award for significant contribution to IT development by the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies.
He was awarded the international Nizami Ganjavi Award on account of his contribution to intercultural understanding, tolerance, and respect for the world’s cultural diversity.
He was awarded the prestigious “ERI Prix” Award of the Province of Lower Austria and the Danube University Krems for his contribution to preserving the diversity and equality of the regions on the path to united Europe.
Doctor Honoris Causa of the Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Baku State University.
Distinguished Professor at the Emerging Markets Institute of Beijing Normal University and at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University.
Member of the Board of Nizami Ganjavi International Center in Baku.
Member of the Trilateral Commission.
Member of the International Advisory Board of GLOBSEC.
Member of the Advisory Board of IMPROVATE, Israel.
Independent Director and Member of the Board of RMR, Boston, MA.