Sasha Bezuhanova

Sasha Bezuhanova
Born Bulgaria
Occupation Founder of MoveBG

Sasha Bezuhanova (Bulgarian: Саша Безуханова) is initiator and founder of the civil platform for democracy, public discussions and debates on the national policies for democratic and sustainable development of Bulgaria - MoveBG. Before she devoted herself to this social cause, Sasha had a successful 20-year-long career in Hewlett-Packard, where she took different managing positions. Her last position was Director Public Sector and Education for Growth Markets. Prior to this, Sasha was Director Public Sector for Central and Eastern Europe for 3 years.

Her career in Hewlett-Packard took off in 1998 and she was General Director for Bulgaria for more than 10 years. During this period she succeeded in establishing the company as the leader in the local IT market.[1] Sasha played significant role for the attracting of a strategic investment from Hewlett-Packard for the construction of the Global Delivery Center in Bulgaria. The project positioned the country on the global investment map and today more than 5000 highly qualified employees work there. Among Sasha’s notable professional achievements is the implementation of a system for new ID, which was a main precondition for Bulgaria's acceptance in the EU visa-free countries list and the free traveling of Bulgarian citizens in the EU.

Biography

Sasha Bezuhanova was born in Pernik. She graduated German language high school with a gold medal. After that she studied at the Technical University of Sofia. In 1985, she earned a Master's Degree in Electronics. She also holds a Executive qualification in Management from INSEAD. In 2001 and 2002, she attended an educational program for the Irish economic model and the structure of the IT sector in California, USA, organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In December 2003, she passed a training in the European Software Institute in Bilbao, Spain.

Sasha Bezuhanova is married, with one daughter.

Career

In July 2013 Sasha Bezuhanova and few fellow believers found the civil platform MoveBG. A few months later she quitted her position in Hewlett-Packard so that she can return in Bulgaria and completely devote herself to the project, which aims to create a uniting vision for sustainable development of Bulgaria through wide expert and civil participation.

The last managing position that she held from 2012 to September 2013 was Director Public Sector and Education for Growth Markets – a region that includes 67 countries around the world, and she coordinated the company’s relations with the EU. Before that, she managed HP’s business in the Public sector for Central and Eastern Europe for 3 years and she brought in an important strategic dimension and a holistic approach to this market segment.

Since 1998 and for more than 10 years Sasha Bezuhanova has been General Director of Hewlett-Packard in Bulgaria. It was under her leadership that Hewlett-Packard’s Bulgarian team developed a series of IT infrastructure project for the country's three biggest telecommunication companies, industrial manufacturers, state and private finance institutions. Some of these projects become solutions and references for HP as a whole and contributed to the expansion of the worldwide IT experience of the corporation. The most important of them, getting huge public and international feedback, was the implementation of electronic ID for Bulgarian citizens, which ended in August 1999 and was the key to Bulgaria's acceptance in the EU visa-free countries list in 2001.[2]

Her most important accomplishment up to date is attracting an investment from Hewlett-Packard headquarters in 2006 for the Global Delivery Center in Bulgaria which today has around 5000 employees. That strategic project placed the country on the world IT investment map.[3] As a result, Hewlett-Packard has become the largest IT employer in Bulgaria and the Top 5 in the country overall.[4] Hewlett-Packard became also the largest investor and employer in the Bulgarian IT sector.

In 1995, Sasha Bezuhanova was appointed General Manager for S&T Bulgaria. Her international business and operational management experience evolved during the 4 years Country management role for the Austrian company for medical equipment HELLImed, main representative of HELLIGE and ALOKA for Bulgaria.

Public Contribution

Sasha Bezuhanova is proactively involved in the economic and social development of Bulgaria. She is part of many organizations and initiatives which work for business development, women’s place in technology and others. Her leadership was key to the development of the National ICT Competitiveness Strategy. She is chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Technical University of Sofia, member of the board of the American University and an honorary chairperson of the Bulgarian ICT Cluster. As an honorary member and chairperson of the board of Junior Achievement Bulgaria (1999 – 2014) Sasha Bezuhanova worked for developing entrepreneurial and leadership skills among young people.

Sasha is a member of the Advisory Board to the Minister of Education, former president of the Bulgarian International Business Association (BIBA) between 2002 and 2006, founding Chairperson and a member of Consultancy Committee of the Confederation of Industrialists and Employers in Bulgaria (KRIB) from 2007 to 2010, Chairperson of the Board of Bulgarian School of Politics,[5] member of the board of the Bulgarian Charities Aid Foundation.

Sasha Bezuhanova is also among the most influential and recognized women in Europe. She is a co-founder, member of the board and chairperson of the Advisory Council of the European Centre of Women in Technology (ECWT), part of EU’s Digital Agenda, from 2008 until now.[6] She is also founder and chairperson of the Bulgarian Centre of Women in Technology (BCWT).

In February 2011, Boyden, a global leader in executive search, featured Sasha Bezuhanova in their Leadership Series in an in-depth interview on winning leadership, cloud computing and the responsibility for educating and developing the next generation.[7]

At the end of 2013, the CEO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg invited her to write the foreword to the Bulgarian edition of her book 'Lean In'.[8]

Membership in Boards

Awards and Achievements

For her achievements and contribution to the public development Sasha Bezuhanova has won many prestigious awards and honours:

In 2009, Sasha Bezhanova was awarded “Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity” - one of the highest orders in Italy, for her exclusive contribution to the development of bilateral economic relations between Bulgaria and Italy.

Consul

Sasha Bezuhanova is the Honorary Consul of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for Bulgaria.

Sources

External links

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