Eng. Ivan Ivanov is President of the Bulgarian Water Association (BWA), a leading professional organisation uniting experts, institutions, academia, and companies across Bulgaria’s water sector. He consistently promotes the sustainable management of water resources, the modernisation of infrastructure, the development of professional capacity, and the exchange of best European practice. He leads and contributes to a range of international projects in environmental protection, in particular water management, including Tethys, Danube Water Balance, BOOST-IN, UDIH 4 EU, WATERVILL, and InnoWATCCH, among others, with a focus on digitalisation, sustainable development, and resource efficiency.
He has over 25 years of professional experience in the water sector, having held senior expert and management positions within key public and international organisations. His career has been closely associated with the governance of water infrastructure, the modernisation of utility services, and the implementation of advanced managerial and technological solutions. He has served as Procurator of Sofiyska Voda AD, part of Veolia, Chair of the Board of Directors of Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding EAD, Manager of the “Dams and Cascades” enterprise at NEK, and Executive Director of the non-profit organisation Industrial Cluster Underground Infrastructure (ICPI).
He holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM) in Sofia. He is a graduate of the French Language High School “Alphonse de Lamartine”. He also holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration from the Francophone Institute of Administration and Management (IFAG) in Sofia and from the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). He undertook specialised training at the National Higher Institute of Chemical Technology (ENSIGC) in Toulouse, France.
Under his leadership, the Bulgarian Water Association has further consolidated its position as a leading professional platform for the development of the water sector in Bulgaria. He actively works to strengthen cooperation between institutions, water and wastewater operators, academia, and industry, with a focus on efficient water resource management, innovation uptake, and the enhancement of professional expertise across the sector. He is the initiator of numerous professional forums, training programmes, and international collaborations aimed at the exchange of knowledge and the implementation of European policies and standards in the water sector.
He currently combines his role as President of the BWA with that of Director of the Water and Sewerage Vocational Training Centre within the Association, where he contributes to the training and professional qualification of specialists in the water sector. He is Editor-in-Chief of BULAQUA magazine, the official BWA publication dedicated to current developments, policy issues, and technological solutions in the water sector. He is a member of the drinking water and wastewater working groups, as well as the legal and economic affairs group of the European Federation of National Associations of Water Services (EurEau). He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy – Sofia and the Foundation for the Development of the Water Sector, supporting the integration of education, professional training, and practical sector development in Bulgaria’s water and wastewater industry.