Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for registering and for the 12th CFA Central and Eastern Europe Investment Conference 2026. We look forward to welcoming you and trust that the conference will be both insightful and engaging. We encourage you to arrive on time for registration and the opening session.
Time: Thursday, 23 April 2026, 9:00 – 19:00
Place: Vasil Levski Hall of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sofia, Bulgaria
Language: English only, no translation
Entrance fee: None. The conference is free of charge
Parking: Parking is 50% discounted for all guests. Please ensure your ticket is validated at the hotel reception.
We expect more than 600 participants, including representatives of the CFA Institute from the United States and London, as well as leaders of CFA societies across Central and Eastern Europe, including Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. The conference will bring together distinguished speakers from more than a dozen countries.
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We are proud to welcome representatives of some of the world's most acclaimed architectural and urban design practices – companies that have shaped skylines, reimagined cities, and defined the built environment of our era.
Joining us for Panel 2: The Future of Cities – Architecture, Challenges, Money – Is CEE on This Planet? are:
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Zaha Hadid Architects
London, UK Est. – 1979
A globally renowned practice celebrated for its radical parametric design language – responsible for landmarks such as the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, and major infrastructure projects worldwide.
represented by
Filippo Innocenti, (Italy, UK) – Director
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Kengo Kuma and Associates
Tokyo, Japan – Est. 1990
One of Japan's most celebrated architecture firms, known for blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design – most recently recognised for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium and a growing portfolio of landmark projects across Asia, Europe, and North America.
represented by
Richard Nelson, (US, Japan) – Partner
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Foster + Partners
London, UK Est. – 1967
One of the world's leading studios for architecture, urbanism, and design – known for iconic projects including 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), Apple Park, and the Reichstag dome in Berlin.
represented by
Laura Narvaez Zertuche, (Mexico, UK) – Partner
Gergana Georgieva, (UK, Bulgaria) – Architect
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Tower 151 Architects
Zagreb, Croatia
A development strategy and architecture firm specialising in large-scale urban infrastructure and PPP-funded projects, with deep expertise across CEE, the Middle East, and Africa – including extensive advisory work for municipal authorities in Zagreb.
represented by
Andrew Yeoman, (UK, Croatia) – Director
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Draft Program as of 22 April 2026
09:00 – 09:15 Opening speeches by Mr. Nikolay Vassilev, CFA – President of the CFA Society Bulgaria and Mr. Vasil Terziev – Mayor of Sofia
09:15 – 09:20 Opening speech by Mr. Rob Langrick, CFA, CIPM – Chief Product Advocate for the CFA Institute, New York
09:20 – 09:25 Award Ceremony – The Biggest Reformers of CEE: 1990 – 2026 (The nominees have not been announced yet)
09:25 – 10:40 Panel 1: The Future of CEE in the 21st Century – Business and Politics
- Mr. Sergei Stanishev (Bulgaria) – Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2005 – 2009); President of the Party of European Socialists (2011 – 2022)
- Mr. Notis Mitarachi, CFA (Greece) – Member of Parliament in Greece since 2012; Minister of Citizen Protection (2023); Minister of Migration & Asylum (2020 – 2023); Deputy Minister of Labour & Social Affairs (2019 – 2020)
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Ms. Margarita Orfanidis (Kazakhstan) – Senior Public Relations Manager, PRO-Razvitie (Co-Moderator)
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Moderator: Ms. Iliyana Petrova – Policy Advisor, Office of the President of Bulgaria
10:40 – 10:45 The Voice of the New Generation – Speech by a young student, possibly accepted at a leading US university in Finance and Economics
10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:40 Panel 2: The Future of Cities – Architecture, Challenges, Money – Is CEE on This Planet?
- Mr. Richard Nelson (US, Japan) – Partner at Kengo Kuma, Tokyo, Japan
- Mr. Filippo Innocenti (Italy, UK) – Director, Zaha Hadid Architects, London, UK
- Ms. Laura Narvaez Zertuche (Mexico, UK) – Partner, Foster + Partners, London, UK
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Mr. Andrew Yeoman (UK, Croatia) – Director, Tower 151 Architects, Zagreb, Croatia
- Moderator: Mr. Nikolay Vassilev, CFA – Managing Partner, Expat Capital
12:40 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:30 Panel 3: CEE Capital Markets, International Connectivity, Cross-Listings
- Mr. Ludwik Sobolewski (Poland) – f. CEO Warsaw Stock Exchange and Bucharest Stock Exchange, Manager, Capital Markets Expert, Strategy Advisor, Attorney, Warsaw, Poland
- Mr. Razvan Pasol, CFA (Romania) – CEO at Patria Asset Management, Head of Capital Markets and Investor Relations at Patria Bank, Bucharest, Romania
- Mr. Dimitris Orfanidis (Greece, Bulgaria, Hong Kong) – Head of Overseas Business Development – Da Cheng, Institutional Asset Management, Hong Kong
- Ms. Pervin Dadashova, CFA (Ukraine) – Director of Financial Stability Department, National Bank of Ukraine
- Moderator: Mr. Ivaylo Penev, CFA – CEO ELANA Fund management
15:30 – 17:00 Panel 4: CEE Private Equity, Venture Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions, Deals
17:00 – 17:15 Coffee Break
17:15 – 18:40 Panel 5: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Finance – CFA Charterholders or Not, Should We Worry?
- Ms. Didem Ün Ateş (Türkiye, UK) – Advisor, Goldman Sachs Asset Management & AI; Founder & CEO of LotusAI
- Mr. Brian Pisaneschi, CFA (US, UK) – Senior Investment Data Scientist, CFA Institute, London, UK
- Moderator: Mr. Kalin Metodiev, CFA – Board Member, CFA Society Bulgaria
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