SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has made changes to the senior management of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator (BST), the state-owned national lottery operator.
Following a ‘fast-paced competition’, Minister of Sport Dimitar Iliev initiated the changes, replacing appointments made last year by then Minister Vesela Lecheva, who served under the Bulgarian ‘caretaker government’.
The country has been governed by this interim administration for over a year, but following elections in April a coalition government – of which Illiev is part of – is assuming leadership.
Under the new Minister’s changes, Angel Angelov will be replaced as Executive Director of the BST by Georgi Tarlekov, who the Ministry described as an “experienced financier”.
The new Executive Director holds a master’s degree in management and marketing, banking, financial business and administration management, and was previously a financial adviser to Minister Iliev.
In addition to Tarlekov, the Ministry has also appointed Rada Gyonova and Petar Peychev to senior management positions at the BST, although it has not specified what roles they will fill.
Gyonova is a trained lawyer and has been working for the BST for over 16 years, whilst Peychev’s experience in audio-visual products and past as a manager of a leading Bulgarian production company was also highlighted by the Ministry.
The Ministry stated that the new appointees’ primary objectives are to uphold the BST’s goal of generating revenue and funding for Bulgaria’s sports scene via lottery sales.
It is hoped that the changes in leadership will ‘improve the activities’ of the BST in this area, as in the Ministry’s view the opportunities for sports revenue via the Totalizator ‘are not used fully and efficiently’.
The Ministry continued: “At the same time, cases of unjustified dismissal and replacement of long-term personnel have been identified. An unsatisfactory policy regarding the incomes of the company’s employees has been applied, and internal control is weak.”
BST leadership should act ‘more decisively’ and with a clear vision as to how to achieve their goals, the Ministry continued, adding that Iliev is planning on reducing the salary costs of governing bodies.
On this note, the Ministry has tasked the BST with establishing fair pay and better working conditions, and expects more accountability and transparency from the new senior leadership team.
