Maria Simeonova

Maria Simeonova has a diverse work experience spanning various organizations. Maria started their career as an intern at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union in 2016. Maria then worked as a Business Development Assistant at KPMG Bulgaria from 2016 to 2018 before joining the Ministry of Finance - Republic of Bulgaria as a Junior Expert from 2018 to 2020. In 2017, they also had the opportunity to be a Blue Book Trainee at DG DEVCO, a department of the European Commission. Currently, they are working at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where they started as a Programme Coordinator for the Western Balkans & Sofia office in 2020 and has now been promoted to the role of Head of the Sofia office in early 2024.

Maria Simeonova completed their education with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in European Studies from KU Leuven in 2016. Prior to that, they earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in International Relations from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski between 2011 and 2015. In 2014, Maria also participated in the Erasmus Student Exchange Programme at the University of Calabria. Additionally, they obtained certifications in analytical skills and critical thinking from the Institute for Public Administration of the Republic of Bulgaria in 2019, a Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana Livello C1, CELI 4 from Università per Stranieri di Perugia, and an IELTS certification in 2015 from the British Council.