The Chief Executive Officer of the Transport and Logistics Giant DISCORDIA Delivered a Public Lecture

Students from the Economics of Transport and Energy Department had the opportunity to attend a public lecture on the Future of Talent in Bulgaria by the guest lecturer Mr. Hristo Hristov, founder and Chief Executive Officer /CEO/ of DISCORDIA - the largest transport and logistics company in Bulgaria. The lecture is a result of the signed Memorandum of Cooperation, including various joint initiatives such as public lectures and seminars, internships, scholarship programme, etc.

It is the second public lecture that the owner of DISCORDIA and one of the most successful entrepreneurs and managers in Bulgaria, delivers to students at the UNWE. It was attended not only by students and lecturers from the Economics of Transport and Energy Department but also by undergraduates and PhD students from other Departments as well as by graduates of speciality Economics of Transport, currently also owners of transport companies.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Borislav Arnaudov, Scientific Secretary of the Economics of Transport and Energy Department, opened the event and emphasized that due to the efforts and managerial talent of Hristo Hristov for 30 years DISCORDIA has become an established leader in the Balkans and it is in the Top 20 of the European market. The company offers services in three areas: international road transport covering all points of Europe, rail forwarding and forwarding by sea and air, providing transport to all parts of the world.

Hristo Hristov underlined that in his talks with prospective investors he points out one main motive that is above all - "these are young people who have high potential and talent. It is worth coming to Bulgaria for the talent". He said that his success was mainly due to the fact that he believed in talent and developed it. "Achievements of DISCORDIA are precisely because we have looked for people to develop. We find talent, we develop together, we create a wealth that we share in a fair way", explained the formula of success Hristo Hristov.

DISCORDIA has more than 2 000 employees, 1 400 vehicles, 4 000 users and 412 million in revenue for 2022. From 2013 to 2022 the company's revenue has grown by 35% each year, efficiency by 37% and profit by 40% according to the CEO's presentation.

The company does business in over 70 countries, 38 of them in Europe and it is constantly expanding its global coverage. It has offices in Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania. It has a high reputation and has earned the trust of thousands of partners and customers, according to an international NPS survey in 2022.

"Among the major objectives and ambitions of DISCORDIA is to become a technology leader in the industry. We already work in this direction investing in the integration of digital and innovative last-generation software solutions through which we optimize various key business processes in the organization. We implement the best software in the best vehicles, we pay the highest wages to our drivers, more than in Germany and France, and we have a corresponding increase in profits", explained his principles Hristo Hristov.

After the lecture, many questions were asked not only about the "principles of success" but also specific questions about the scholarships provided by DISCORDIA. Jean Waitillingham, Human Resources Director at DISCORDIA, explained that for a scholarship is applied with a grade in the final year of studies, an exam and an interview. The scholarships are annual and are in the range of 2 000 BGN. The company also offers summer internships in June, July and August. "Half of the trainees stayed with us", said Hristo Hristov adding that 172 people graduated from the UNWE have been hired in the last four and a half years which is 40% of all appointments in the company for that period.