University Council

Dobrin Staikov (’96) is the Group CFO & Head of Capital Markets and board member at Lion’s Head. He has an extensive 25-year experience in private equity, capital markets, and structured finance with an industry focus on commercial real estate, non-performing loans and distressed real estate, and financial institutions, as well as equity and debt transactions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mr. Staikov served as non-executive director and observer on boards of investee companies and has held leadership roles in companies and financial institutions such as EBRD, UNIQA, Raiffeisen Bank International, Deutsche Bank and PwC.

Mr. Staikov holds an MBA degree from INSEAD and a B.A. from the American University in Bulgaria, where he also taught a course on international accounting. He completed the Real Estate Executive Management Program: Finance, Design and Leadership, Real Estate at the Harvard Business School and is a Financial Certified Chartered Accountant, ACCA.

Ahmet O. Evin, Professor Emeritus and founding dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Sabanci University, serves is Senior Scholar at Istanbul Policy Center. As a Jean Monnet Professor ad personam, he has held the Jean Monnet Chair of European Policy Studies, as well as the Anna Lindh-La Caixa Chair for Euro-Mediterranean Studies at Sabanci University. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Columbia University.

Professor Evin has been a senior fellow of the Transatlantic Academy (Washington, DC) and an Alexander Onassis Senior Fellow at Eliamep, Athens. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of Columbia Global Centers – Istanbul, Senior Advisory Board of the NATO Defense College Foundation (Rome), University Council of the American University of Bulgaria, Advisory Board of the Turkey Programme at Eliamep (Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy), and International Advisory Board of the Institute of Advanced Studies - Köszeg.

He has taught at Harvard, NYU, University of Pennsylvania (where he was director of the Middle East Center), the University of Hamburg and Bilkent University. He served as Director of Education of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (Paris and Geneva), and Advisory Board member of the Aga Khan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

He has authored or edited over 10 volumes on politics, culture, and development, and currently serves on the editorial boards of four international journals.

Borbala Cox ('99) is a seasoned strategic CFO with a proven track record of driving revenue growth, managing expenses, and assessing new business opportunities. She excels at leading diverse teams, overseeing complex implementations, and forging strong partnerships. As a strategic thinker with a passion for analytics, Borbala brings a strong executive presence and a focus on building relationships. Currently, she serves as the CFO of Consumer & Community Banking (CCB) at JP Morgan Chase, a business that serves more than 82 million consumers and 6 million small businesses in the United States.

Bio will be available shortly.

Chris Potts is a visionary CEO and Chair with over 20 years of international board-level experience. He has led knowledge-based software and technology businesses, delivering £0.5 billion in products and services and realizing £200 million in equity value for shareholders. A strong communicator and influencer, Dr. Potts excels in strategy formulation, governance, risk management, and change management. He has served on audit and risk committees and played key roles in leading successful business transformation programs. Dr. Potts' leadership has been instrumental in the success of companies such as Guralp Systems, Rule Financial, Rhyme Systems and 3i Infotech Europe, as well as several UK public companies. With a diverse academic background and community involvement, he is a respected figure in the technology and business world.

Christo Grozev ('95) is a world-renowned investigative journalist and Producer at Bellingcat Productions. A graduate of AUBG's first class, Grozev founded the university's radio station, AURA. He is recognized for his groundbreaking work in open-source intelligence (OSINT) and his dedication to uncovering truth and justice. His work has been honored with prestigious awards, including the European Prize for Investigative Journalism and two Emmy Awards. Most notably, Grozev and his team won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for their work on the film Navalny. Before joining Bellingcat, Grozev held leadership positions in various media companies.

Daniel Tomov (’97), is an AUBG alumnus, who served on the AUBG Board of Trustees in his capacity of President of the AUBG Alumni Association for the period 2001-2005 and as an ex-officio member in his capacity of Chair of the University Council for the period 2019-2022. He is a Founding Partner at Eleven Ventures, a top brand VC that invests in early stage technology companies from CEE. Tomov has been involved with startups since 2000 as an investor through bulventures, a pioneer in pre-seed funding in the region, founded by AUBG alumni. He has also been a founder in diverse domains ranging from technology to retail to renewable energy. Daniel Tomov has been engaged with different institutions and initiatives that support entrepreneurship such as the European Business Angel Network (board member 2016-18) and the Bulgarian Venture Capital Association (board member). Tomov is the founder of Elevate – the AUBG accelerator program.

David Butts is a retired international lawyer, investor, and business advisor with more than 30 years of experience in corporate law, private equity, life sciences, and governance. He currently serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Postbank AD and has been an Independent Member of the Board since 2018. Since retiring from CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP in 2019, where he served as Managing Partner of CMS Sofia and held senior international leadership roles, he has been active as an angel investor and advisor to private equity, venture capital, and digital health companies. David holds degrees in Pharmacy from Dalhousie University and in Civil and Common Law from McGill University, all awarded with distinction. Throughout his career, he has advised multinational companies on mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, technology licensing, ethics, and compliance, while contributing significantly to the development of the business environment in Central and Eastern Europe. A longstanding advocate for corporate social responsibility, David has supported numerous charitable initiatives and nonprofit organizations in Bulgaria and internationally. Since May 2026, he has served as a member of the University Council of the American University in Bulgaria.

Dr. Edward Friedman is a Professor Emeritus of Technology Management at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. He currently teaches, writes, and speaks on public policy aspects of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. In 1965, he participated in the development of a College of Engineering at Kabul University. He later acted as the Director of the Engineering School Development project in Afghanistan where he worked closely with the American Ambassador and members of the Afghan cabinet and leadership. He received a citation and medal from the King of Afghanistan for his service. In 1970, he received jointly the Stevens Research Award for laser scattering studies of the polymer glass transition. From 1973 - 1988, he oversaw undergraduate education at Stevens as Dean of the College. Dr. Friedman also founded a program at Stevens that brought Internet resources to pre-college schools; he managed more than $20 million in grants and awards from state and federal agencies to implement the program for the following 15 years. In 1992, he was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to collaborate with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences on the role of computers in education. In recognition for his services, Dr. Friedman was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Mathematics from Sofia University in 2000. Dr. Friedman has a B.S. in Physics from MIT and a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University.

Elvin Guri (’96) is an entrepreneur and investor who supports various educational institutions and initiatives in Bulgaria and Albania. Mr. Guri is currently CEO of Invenio Partner, a fund manager investing in lower and mid-market industrial companies in SouthEast Europe. Previously with PwC and EBRD, he co-founded JetFinance International that became the largest consumer finance lender in Southeast Europe (sold to BNP Paribas Personal Finance in 2007). Among Mr. Guri’s other recent investments is Telekom Albania/ One Telecommunications, the second-largest mobile operator in that country (sold in 2022). Mr. Guri holds an MBA from the University of Oxford Said Business School and a B.A. in Business Administration and History from the American University in Bulgaria.

Georgi Fotev is a prominent Bulgarian professor of sociology with international reputation. He is member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and other prestigious academic organizations. Professor Fotev is author of an important number of scientific publications part of which published abroad (16 countries). Some of his fundamental works are “Sociological reality and imagination” (1986 and 1996), “The other ethnicity” (1994), “Crisis of legitimacy” (1999), “Political borders” (2001), “Dialogical sociology” (2004), “The Long night of the Communism in Bulgaria” (2008), “Bulgarian Melancholy” (2010), Meaning and Understanding (2014); Human Uncertainty (2016); Sociology as a Rigorous Science (2018); Phenomenology of Feelings (2018). Dialogical Reason (2022) and others. Professor Fotev was Director of the Institute of Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from 1990 to 2003. From 1990 to 1991, Prof. Dr. Fotev was Minister of Culture and Higher Education, professor of sociology in the Saint Kliment Ohridski University from 1977 to 2008, National Director for Bulgaria on the project European Values Study from 1998 and President of the Bulgarian Sociological association from 2006 to 2009. He is professor emeritus and senator of the New Bulgarian University. He is married and has a son and a daughter. (07/2022)

Jason Harkins, Ph.D., is Executive Dean of the Maine Business School and Dean of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Maine. A scholar and academic leader, Dr. Harkins has spent over 15 years fostering innovation in business education and supporting entrepreneurship across the northeastern United States. He leads strategic initiatives focused on student success, curriculum development, and community engagement, and has played a key role in launching new academic programs, experiential learning opportunities, and industry partnerships. Dr. Harkins is also the Managing Director of Scratchpad Accelerator, supporting startups in a variety of industries. His research in entrepreneurship and strategic management has been published in leading journals, and he has served on numerous academic and economic development boards. Dr. Harkins holds a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Oklahoma and is committed to advancing business education through global collaboration.

Jordan Karabinov (’97), MBA, ACCA, CIA was the Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Internal Auditors in Bulgaria (2013-2022). Mr. Karabinov started his professional career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Sofia in 1997. In 2001 Mr. Karabinov moved to the Netherlands, where he worked as an Internal Audit Manager for Alcatel-Lucent, General Electric, and ArvinMeritor. For the latter companies, he performed internal audits and fraud investigations in Europe, the USA, and Australia. In 2009 Mr. Karabinov moved back to Bulgaria and became a managing partner of JK&Partners, which offers services in internal audit and risk management.   Mr. Karabinov earned an MBA degree from IMD, Switzerland, and a B.A. in Business Administration from the American University in Bulgaria. 

A three-time Ambassador, Kenneth Merten attained the rank of Career Minister – equivalent to a three-star general – in his career at the United States Department of State. From 2023 to 2025, he served as the United States Ambassador to Bulgaria. He held the responsibilities of Acting Director General of the Foreign Service from January 2021 to October 2021, after which he served as Chargé d’affaires (interim ambassador) at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. From January 2017 until November 2018, Ambassador (ret.) Merten was the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, with responsibility for Canada, Haiti, Caribbean Affairs and the Office of Policy, Planning and Coordination. Earlier, he was the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, from 2012 to August 2015, and prior to that served as the United States Ambassador to Haiti from 2009 to July 2012. He also served as a Deputy Executive Secretary to U.S. Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of State Rice. Mr. Merten was awarded the 2011 Ryan C. Crocker Award for Outstanding Leadership in Expeditionary Diplomacy for his ‘extraordinary leadership’ in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In serving as Ambassador to Haiti, he oversaw the United States Government’s on-the-ground efforts to provide immediate relief after the earthquake through a presence of 8,000 U.S. military personnel. In the days after the earthquake, Ambassador Merten also oversaw the largest evacuation of American citizens since World War II. Mr. Merten’s overseas assignments include the U.S. Embassy in Paris (as Economic Counselor), the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, the U.S. Embassy in Bonn at the time of German unification, and four tours at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His Washington experience includes two assignments in the State Department Operations Center, which supports the daily work and travel of the Secretary of State. He has also served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, on the Cuba Desk, and worked for the Special Advisors on Haiti in 1993-1994. Holding a B.A. from Miami University in Ohio, and a Masters in Public Administration from American University in Washington, DC., Ambassador Merten also studied at the Université d’Aix-Marseille in France and at Karl Franzens Universität in Austria to complement his other academic work. Ambassador Merten gave the commencement address to over 10,000 attendees at Miami University in May 2010 and received an honorary Doctorate from the University. In January 2018 he was awarded the Shandling Humanitarian Award by Sean Penn and his relief organization, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), for his work in Haiti. Also in 2018, Merten was recognized by Walsh Jesuit High School, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio as its first Distinguished Alumnus. Ambassador Merten is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. The son of an immigrant, Kenneth Merten was born in St. Louis, Missouri and considers Hudson, Ohio his hometown.

Michael D. Marvin is the Managing Director of MDM Advisors. He has assisted boards and CEOs achieve dramatic growth or reinvent their companies for over 25 years. He was the founder and Chairman Emeritus and first CEO of MapInfo Corporation, a NASDAQ listed company, as well as a founding partner of Exponential Business Development Company. Mr. Marvin has received several awards, including being inducted into the Capital District Business Hall of Fame in upstate NY. Mr. Marvin has been a board member of Bulgaria Entrepreneurship Center, Ventureprise, and School Turnaround; co-founder of the Business and Higher Education Round Table, an organization of 25 college presidents and corporate CEOs to foster economic development in upstate New York; an advisory board member to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management, etc. Mr. Marvin has also held various positions including the Business Director of Center for Manufacturing and Technology Transfer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; a Principal in Marvin Associates, a business consulting firm serving U.S. Federal and State entities and small businesses; a manager at Westinghouse; and a programmer for the NASA Apollo project while at Sperry Univac. Mr. Marvin received his B.S. at the University of Maryland, his MS at Carnegie Mellon Graduate School of Industrial Administration and an EMBA at Queens University of Charlotte.

Marianne M. Keler, formerly served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Sallie Mae, the largest private sector source of education finance in the U.S., and is currently a member of the Sallie Mae Board of Directors. She also serves as Board Chair of The American College of the Mediterranean in Aix-en-Provence (formerly the Institute for American Universities). From 2007 until 2022 she was a director of CubeSmart, a public self-storage company and has served as a trustee for a variety of nonprofits, including the National Student Clearinghouse, Building Hope (financing U.S. charter school facilities) and the Levine School of Music in Washington DC Ms. Keler obtained her undergraduate and law degrees from Georgetown University and began her legal career at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She is a partner with her husband, Michael Kershow, in the law firm of Keler & Kershow, PLLC. Marianne Keler served of the Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2015. She was granted the Distinguished Service Award, May 2015. (06/2015)

Bio will be available shortly.

Petar Svarc (’02) is a former partner at Melon, an alumni-founded software services company, acquired in 2022 by Kin + Carta, and then Valtech – a global experience innovation company. Svarc joined the company as a developer a few days after graduation. With fellow alumni managed to grow it from 5 to 350+ employees by the time of the 20M+ EUR acquisition. He led regional (SEE and EU) teams responsible for employer branding, employee experience, career development and talent acquisition, as well as the post-acquisition integration process. Active member of the student and alumni community serving as a leader in several student-run organizations (including as Student Government President in 2002), AAA Director-at-Large (two terms) and President (2007-2010). Currently focusing on switching to an angel investor and mentor role supporting local and regional entrepreneurs. Svarc is also a founding member of the relatively renowned Bulgarian rock band ALI.

Petia Dimitrova is Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank (under the legal name Eurobank Bulgaria AD). She joined the team of Postbank in 2003 as Country CFO for the eight affiliated companies of Eurobank EFG Group in Bulgaria. In 2005 was appointed Procurator of the Bank. In 2007 she was appointed Executive Director and Member of the MB of DZI Bank. After the legal merger of DZI Bank and Postbank she became Executive Director and Member of MB of the unified bank. In 2012, Mrs. Dimitrova became Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank.

Under her leadership, Postbank completed in just a few years two successful deals, the acquisition and integration in a record short-term time of Alfa Bank - Bulgaria Branch, followed by Piraeus Bank Bulgaria. They are another step to strengthen its position as a systemic for the bank market and to expand its customer base.

Mrs. Dimitrova began her career in 1996 at the Consular Department of the US Embassy. Then, in 1998-2003, she worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as Senior Manager and Senior Auditor.

She is a chartered accountant, qualified ACCA member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in London, UK. Mrs. Dimitrova has an Executive MBA in General Management from the University of Sheffield, UK and holds two Master Degrees in Finance and Banking and Tourism from the University of National and World Economy and Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.

In addition, she is a graduate of ALBA Leadership Development Program, Harvard; holds a Certificate of Merit from Georgetown University Leadership Seminar, Washington D.C. and graduated Management and Social Development of NGOs at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and University of Macedonia, Greece. She also holds certificates for successful completion of the program "Harvard Business School in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and Said Business School, University of Oxford in 2022.

Mrs. Dimitrova has acquired her professional qualifications in UK, Greece, Holland, Belgium, USA and Bulgaria, and has participated in various prestigious international trainings, seminars and conferences.

Mrs. Dimitrova is a Member of the Management Boards of the Association of Banks in Bulgaria, “Atanas Bourov" Foundation, Endeavor Bulgaria Association, the International Banking Institute. She also is a Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hellenic Business Council in Bulgaria, member of the Management Board of CEIBG and Member of the University Council of the American University in Bulgaria. Petia Dimitrova is a Member of the National Council of Global Compact Local Network Bulgaria, Industrial Advisory Board - CITY College, International Faculty of the University of Sheffield, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Young Global Leaders Forum, part of the World Economic Forum, Gerson Lehrman Group Accounting Council London, UK, Fellow Member of the Chartered Management Institute, UK and Cofounder of the Public Council of Women in Business.

Under her leadership Postbank won nearly 100 prestigious international and Bulgarian awards.

Princess Maria-Luisa of Bulgaria is the older sister of King Simeon II and daughter of King Boris III and Queen Giovanna. In 2012 Princess Maria-Luisa was awarded the degree Doctor Honoris Causa of AUBG. She was the first of the royal family to revisit Bulgaria after the fall of communism, and is extremely well respected among the Bulgarian émigré community in North America. Princess Maria- Luisa is involved in charity work in support of Bulgarian hospitals and Bulgarian art. After leaving Bulgaria the Communist-staged referendum that abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, Princess Maria-Luisa lived in Egypt, Spain, Canada, and since 1974 in the United States. She studied at the Medical Nurse College of the Spanish Red Cross Society and graduated with honors.

Spas Dimitrov holds a Degree in law from the Sofia University, which he graduated with honors in 1977. After a one-year internship, he started practicing as a lawyer, thus continuing the family tradition (his father is a lawyer). In June 1990 - September 1991, he was a member of the Bulgarian Grand National Assembly, with a second consecutive mandate in the 37th Bulgarian National Assembly from December 1994 to April 1997. In June 1997, Dimitrov became Chair of the State Savings Bank, and in January 1999, after the restructuring of the State Savings Bank into an actual bank, he became Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of the State Savings Bank EAD until the fall of 2001. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, Deputy Chair and then Acting Chair of the Association of Commercial Banks and a former board member of the insurance company “BULSTRAD-LIFE”. Since September 2005, he has been a member of the supervisory board of Municipal Bank JSC. He is currently a practicing lawyer and is also developing his own business in real estate and construction.

Svetozar Georgiev (’00) is a co-founder of Telerik, Telerik Academy and Campus X. As a co-founder and co-CEO of Telerik, Mr. Georgiev has been instrumental in steering the company from a bootstrapped startup to a global market leader, employing 850+ people in 11 offices around the world. He oversees the development of the educational institutions Telerik Academy and Telerik Academy Foundation, as well as the biggest private incubator in Bulgaria – Campus X. Mr. Georgiev is also an active mentor, advisor, and angel investor, who works with numerous startups and community organizations. His mission is to help the local tech and start-up ecosystems evolve and become strong bottom-up forces for positive change in Bulgaria. Mr. Georgiev is currently General Partner at Eleven Ventures, Chair of BESCO – the Bulgarian Entrepreneurs’ Association, as well as board member at “Teach for Bulgaria” Foundation. Mr. Georgiev holds a B.A. in Business Administration and in Journalism and Mass Communications from the American University in Bulgaria.

Stephen Auth currently serves as Chief Investment Officer of Federated Global Equities, as well as Executive Vice President of Federated Investors. He leads a team of more than 115 portfolio managers, analysts, and traders who manage Federated’s domestic and international equity investment products. Auth has over 32 years of investment experience with Federated and previously, Prudential Investments. At Prudential, Auth led a global investment team with offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, and the United States. Auth graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Princeton University in 1978. He received his master’s degree in business administration, with High Distinction, from Harvard University in 1985, where he was a Baker Scholar and a Loeb Rhodes Fellow. He is a chartered financial analyst. He lives with his wife and two sons in Chatham, New Jersey. He is a frequent contributor on CNBC and Fox Business News. He is member of The Economic Club of New York as well as of The New York Society of Security Analysts. He is active in youth work and is on the board of the Manhattan Chapter of Lumen Institute. He has published one book, “The Ten Years’ War,” a revisionist history of the period just prior to the American Revolution.

Valbona Schwab joined the Grinnell College Investment Office in 2021 and serves as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer after a tenure of seven years with Beth Israel Lahey Health Investment Office, a $4 billion endowment in Boston. Prior to her time with Beth Israel Lahey, Valbona worked as Portfolio Manager and Head of Research for Partners HealthCare System, a $22 billion hospital system in Massachusetts. Valbona has also served as a Trustee and Investment Committee Chair for The Chestnut Hill School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. A native of Albania, Valbona started her investment career in her country’s first private equity fund opened by the USAID following the fall of the communist bloc. She studied Economics at the American University in Bulgaria as a George Soros scholar, Finance at the University of Maine, and later obtained an MBA and a Master’s in Finance from Boston College with high distinction. Valbona currently serves on the board of the Alternative Investment Management Association.

Varbin Staykoff (’96) is a senior banker with BayernLB in New York focusing on the energy and technology sectors in North America and in Europe. He is an expert in renewable energy and clean technology/ In this capacity he has advised the U.S. Department of Energy on the assessment of renewable energy projects and funding for the development of new clean technologies. Mr. Staykoff started his professional career at Deloitte in Bulgaria as a corporate finance expert and later joined J.P. Morgan in New York gaining experience in capital markets, M&A across various industries for over 10 years. During his career, he has advised on M&A and capital raising transactions totaling over $10 billion in value.

Mr. Staykoff holds a BA degree from the American University in Bulgaria and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He is co-chair of AUBG Alumni chapter NYC, a member of the American Council on Germany in New York and a former board member of Fifth Avenue Committee, a $230MM affordable housing development non-profit organization in New York.

Yury Zabella ('02) is a finance executive with over two decades of experience. Currently, he is the CFO at FoodSpot and serves on the University Council of the American University in Bulgaria. Previously, he held CFO roles at Global ERP and Dynamics Resources (acquired by Synoptek) and served as Director of Global Mobility at Synoptek. Yury's career spans finance, operations, and purchasing, including roles at Galaxy Desserts and F.lli Campagnolo. He holds a BA from the American University in Bulgaria.

Bio will be added shortly