Kamelia Panayotova is the Director of Facilities and Global Development for Europe at Sutherland. Kamelia has a Master's degree from the University of Veliko Tarnovo and has more than 15 years of experience in key positions in large international companies. She is a successful leader with strategic thinking and excellent business negotiation skills. For the past 10 years, she has specialized in the management of global facilities projects. Kamelia is certified according to European standards in Facilities management, international standards for safe working conditions, etc. Participates in the establishment of facility standards that are applied globally across all Sutherland offices and is a member of the Bulgarian Facility Management Association.

Kamelia Panayotova joined the Sutherland team as Facility Manager for Bulgaria in 2010 - two years after the company opened its first office in Sofia. In 2014, thanks to the successfully managed projects in Bulgaria and the Caribbean region, Camelia was appointed Director of Facilities and Global Development for Europe. She works actively for the growth of the company and the opening of new offices in the region. Camellia is a professional, oriented towards achieving real results. She has valuable experience, integrity, perseverance, and commitment, which, combined with her competence and expertise, contribute to the expansion of the company's activities and reputation.

FOR THE COMPANY:
Founded in 1986, Sutherland is a global business process transformation company serving clients across all industries. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York. It employs more than 40,000 professionals based in over 60 locations in 20 countries. Sutherland opened its first major European customer service center in Bulgaria in 2008. Today the company operates from 11 offices in 6 countries in Europe. The team numbers nearly 2,500 employees and continues to grow at a rapid pace.

Ms. Panayotova, how would you describe the feeling and responsibility of being part of the team that leads the development of a world-class company not only in our country but also throughout Europe?
It is a great privilege for me to be part of the team of one of the largest and fastest-growing process transformation companies worldwide, with offices in over 20 countries. Being part of the management and contributing my skills to the development of a company like Sutherland is an opportunity for me to prove my abilities as an expert, to meet and work with exceptional people, and to continue to be motivated for new challenges.

What attracted and kept you in Sutherland for almost 10 years now?
The opportunity to be part of a large international team that has accumulated serious expertise over 30 years, and develops rapidly to meet the needs of clients while attracting the best specialists.

My work is extremely dynamic and despite some difficulties, its results give me new strength. At Sutherland, everyone can develop and show their full potential. There is always more to learn, and interacting with so many different experts helps me greatly not only in my professional life but also in my personal life.

What do you think are the must-have qualities of a successful manager these days?
For me, it is important for a successful manager to be loyal and honest, to be able to listen to the people m, to believe in what he/she is doing, and to work for the unconditional success of each of the projects. Making decisions also means taking responsibility, i.e. you must be reasoned and be convinced that your actions are correct, that you overlap the company's values , and protect the interests of customers and employees. I sincerely believe that behind every successful manager is a team of motivated and dedicated colleagues whose efforts should be appreciated at every opportunity.

Could you share more about Sutherland's activities - what business processes does the company implement and how does it help the successful development of its clients? In that line of thought, who are your customers?
Sutherland Bulgaria is developing successfully and growing rapidly both in Sofia and in the other two cities where we work in Bulgaria – Varna, and Burgas. This shows that, in addition to being a preferred partner for our customers, we are also a preferred employer. Sutherland is among the leading business process transformation companies. The work often involves the systems, processes, and methodology of the clients themselves, with which we build our know-how and competencies and create a unique, world-level service.

In that line of thought, who are your clients?
We currently serve 19 clients in Bulgaria who are leaders in their industry, providing products and services that reach millions of end-users worldwide. Our clients are from Fortune 500, and some of them are brands such as Spotify, Hilton, GoDaddy, and others. As a reliable business partner, we build success together with our customers. They rely on us to innovate their business and business processes.

How competitive is the sector in which you operate? And what are the advantages of Sutherland over other companies at home and abroad?
There are a few sectors in the Bulgarian economy that continue to grow over the years at a double-digit rate. The outsourced services sector is one of them, and the trend is expected to continue in the future. It is evolving rapidly, undergoing significant change and growth. The most sought-after resource is quality employees. In the race to attract and retain them, many varied business ideas are involved. The good news is that with the development of the branch, more and more Bulgarians are returning home from abroad, having the opportunity to start their professional development in our country. About 60 thousand people are employed in the outsourcing branch, and the companies from this sector form about 70 percent of the demand for office space in the country.

Since the most important resource for the successful development of an organization is people, could you tell us about Sutherland's policy aimed at attracting, retaining, and developing human capital?
Sutherland's most valuable asset and reason for establishing itself as an industry leader are its employees. Training and their development are a priority in the company, and in addition to introductory training related to daily work (software, language, and other courses), there are also those aimed at personal and professional development - technical training, as well as those that develop skills such as communication, leadership, management and sales programs, coaching and mentoring. It is a proven practice that the majority of management positions in the company are occupied by internally trained successful specialists, and I am proud to share that I am such an example.

In this regard, where is the place of emotional belonging in the effective interaction between the organization and its employees?
The company tries to make all employees feel comfortable, so we offer excellent working conditions in a young dynamic team. I can't help but mention here that all of our marketing strategies for Sutherland's vision, including posters, billboards, advertising materials, and our social media presence - are not represented by professional models, but by real company employees standing with their faces, carrying Sutherland's messages. You can see for yourself that we have something to distinguish ourselves.

What added value does Sutherland offer as an employer - social benefits, career development, other...? How does the company invest in its people?
Sutherland offers extremely attractive social benefits such as additional health insurance, food vouchers, sports cards, and discounts in various shops and restaurants, covering transport costs, etc. We organize annual team-building events, build and support green projects, and organize campaigns with a focus on company employees. Sutherland also has an established policy in the field of corporate social responsibility, with the active participation of our employees at its core. We are also proud of our internal program to stimulate the generation and implementation of ideas from our employees to improve work processes.

In addition to competitive compensation, the company offers a central office location and many developments and training opportunities for employees who join us. We put our employees first and strive to continuously provide them with a pleasant and rewarding work environment.

What are the main requirements for the company's employees - in a professional and personal aspect? What is the profile of the people you recruit?
At Sutherland, employees are motivated and responsible, exceptional professionals who quickly take up their roles in the team. They speak several languages and communicate freely, and some of them have a high level of technical training. I am honored to be a part of this team and it gives me a sense of fulfillment at the end of each work day.

We also have many young employees for whom Sutherland is the right start to their careers. What we offer them is not just the nice-sounding phrase career development, but reality. People with potential and desire to work find their development within the company, and this can happen in extremely short terms - something that is usually difficult to achieve in other companies.

This year you won an award in the ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT category for good practices, management, and control of global projects in the field of fraud management. What does this distinction mean to you?
I would like to thank the team of Business Lady magazine, which recognized my work and professionalism. It was an extreme honor and pleasure to be among the honored ladies and to enjoy the exquisite ceremony. The feeling was incredible and I had the opportunity to share the moment with my closest colleagues, without whom I would not have achieved the results for which I was awarded. And the pride in the eyes of my ten-year-old daughter and my husband when I came home with the award is something that still brings me incredible emotion and excitement.

Could you share more about your specific responsibilities and duties as Director of Facilities and Global Development for Europe at Sutherland? Tell us about your professional daily life...
It's great when work brings recognition and satisfaction. I enjoy an extremely dynamic daily life with many varied responsibilities and challenges. The list is long, but part of my duties are in the field of business development, facilities management, the construction of new office spaces and the constant improvement of the existing work environment, budget control and efficiency, the improvement of the quality of the services provided, the optimization of costs, the interior design, etc. I need to see the real results of my work and the direct effect they have on the image and financial indicators of the company. Most recently, Sutherland entered the Top 3 employers providing the best office space for their employees in Bulgaria. According to the jury of the authoritative career forum for Bulgarians with professional experience abroad "Careers in Bulgaria. Why not?", the company was awarded for the great location, and the modern and creative environment it offers to its employees.

What are the plans for the development of the company in our country and Europe?
The vision for the development of Sutherland in Bulgaria is related to establishing the company as a preferred employer in the sector and further enlarging the team by expanding the activities performed for our current clients and adding new clients with more complex services. Our results are impressive - within the last three years, the company has doubled in size, reaching nearly 2,500 employees. During this period, the company added its new location - Varna, where nearly 200 jobs were created, with a tendency for this growth to continue. We will continue to grow our business in the existing locations and, of course, we will look for European ones that respond to the dynamics with which we are developing.

Your wish for the readers of Business Lady magazine?
I sincerely wish the readers of Business Lady magazine to be healthy, to stay true to themselves, to give the best they are capable of in what they do, and not to forget to show how much they value their closest people in the office and the family. Live and work so that our today is a step towards a happier tomorrow! Be yourselves!