HONORED MEMBERS

Dimitar Alexiev

Dimitar Aleksiev Dimitrov is Managing Director for Europe at Heineken International in 2016, where he is responsible for companies in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and EU exports.

Dimitar Alexiev began his career at Heineken in 1995 as General Manager of Heineken Bulgaria. In 2005 he became director of Heineken Slovakia and continued his career as director of Heineken Russia. In 2013, he was appointed CEO for Central Europe. Chairman of the Supervisory Board of "Lasco Brewery" from November 2015 and member of the Supervisory Board from November 2015. His nomination for an honorary member of the Bulgarian Industrial Association - Union of Bulgarian Business, is supported by the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria.

Fil Filipov

Fil Filipov is the president of Terex Lifting, which is part of the Terex Corporation with a capital of $ 1 billion. He was born in Strelcha. In the 1960s, at the age of 17, fleeing Bulgaria, going through a refugee camp in Greece, and then emigrating to the United States.

In 1966 Filipov began work as a sweeper in the International Harvestar Lifting Company. Gradually he rose and in 1979 was sent to the company's office in Paris. 10 years later he leaves and starts his own business - he buys companies in a bad state and heals them with brutal discipline. His specialty is the revival of losing enterprises. He has worked successfully in France, the UK, Germany, Italy and the United States, using untraditional and original approaches. He has recovered over 30 enterprises and the latter is Atlas in Germany, which later became the owner of the Tatra Motor Company (Czech Republic).

Ignat Kaneff

Ignat Kaneff is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Canada. Well-known to the Bulgarian public with its charity, entrepreneurial spirit and merit internationally.

He was born on 6 October 1926 in Gorno Ablanovo, Bulgaria. In 1951 he emigrated to Canada with almost no money, no knowledge of English, and no ties or friends there. He settled in Toronto and started working in the construction business. Originally, he built small houses for newly arrived immigrants. Five years later, in 1956, he founded his first construction company. During his career as a building contractor, he built thousands of houses, many public buildings, and high-end golf facilities.

Kaneff makes grants primarily for health and educational purposes and to promote the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. With his donations a cultural home is being built in the village of Gorno Ablanovo, three units are being built and renovated in the Rousse hospital. He also helps excellent students with scholarships.

Jean-Marie Standaert

Jean-Marie Standaerd is a Belgian citizen who was a permanent delegate of BIA to BusinessEurope and a representative of BIA in Brussels for 11 years (from 2006 to 2017). From 1998 to 2006, Jean-Marie Standaerd, as a representative of the International Labor Organization, assisted and provided resources for a number of projects and meetings in Bulgaria. Thanks to his efforts, our country hosted a number of foreign visits to employers from other European countries and participated in numerous activities in support of Bulgarian employers. Jean-Marie Standaerd was a factor in popularizing the name and image of BIA among European institutions and employers' organizations in Europe.

Shefket Chapadjiev

Shefket Chapadjiev (nickname Chap) is an American businessman, multimillionaire and philanthropist. He is known as the richest Bulgarian emigrant abroad. Owner of one of the largest printing companies in the US.

He bought his first factory in 1976 and made his first million during the sixth year of the establishment of his business. Today Chaddjiev owns properties in Chicago, New York, Florida, Ecuador, including hotels and many apartments in the most expensive areas of the United States. He owns shares in companies in the fields of energy, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and air transport.

He owns an award of the International Organization for Migration for Contribution to Bulgaria.