It became clear during the interview that the company respects my experience and expertise

Aneliya Goryanova-Ivanova

Senior Employer Branding and Content Specialist, Amadeus Sofia

Introduce yourself with what you are currently doing and at what position…

My name is Aneliya Goryanova-Ivanova and I am currently responsible for the development of employer branding at Amadeus in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Poland as Senior Employer Branding & Content Specialist.

By nature, I am a communicator, empath, and dreamer. I believe in the power of words because they not only inform but also soothe, inspire, give another perspective, provide direction, in a word – change destinies. I believe that a person should follow their intuition and dreams. These beliefs naturally led me to marketing communications and branding, which I have been involved in for over 15 years.

Which company would you like to highlight as a good workplace, in which industry is it, and what is its product/service?

The company creates technological solutions for participants in the tourism industry – from airlines, airports, railways, hotels, to tour operators and car rental agencies. In fact, everyone of us, when traveling, interacts with the software solutions of the company.

The mission of the company is to improve travel for everyone, everywhere, through innovations, partnerships among participants in the industry and responsibility towards people, destinations and the planet as a whole.

Is there anything specific that you learned or felt as an attitude in this company that continues to serve you in professional life?

What I value most in the company is the respect for me, my expertise and experience, the trust and high appreciation for my work. I feel it at all levels – from the colleagues I work with directly every day in our office in Sofia, those from different locations in Europe, to my direct supervisors. The built trust is what helps us a lot in finding solutions to challenging cases. 

Respect and trust cannot be replaced by any benefit. They show the culture and values of the company.

What good practices from this employer would you like to see more often in other organizations?

As a person who has been involved in communications and storytelling for over 15 years, what impresses me the most is the well-organized internal communication on a global level. For a company with over 21,000 employees and a presence in over 100 locations, effective internal communication is key to creating clarity, engagement, and trust among colleagues, reducing tension during changes, enhancing the sense of belonging. All of this strengthens the reputation of the company as a desirable employer.

Another commendable practice is the sharing of knowledge among colleagues, whether related to their area of expertise or specifically on a given project. It is a valuable addition to the overall training program that each of us goes through, improving effectiveness, helping with development of skills and building a culture of collaboration and trust within the team.

I also organized training for building a personal brand and storytelling on social media. They were useful not only for my colleagues but also for me. Working on them deepened my knowledge on these topics, improved my public speaking and presentation skills, brought me closer to my colleagues, and this, in turn, facilitates my work on projects and initiatives related to employer branding.

If today someone asks you whether it is worth applying to this company – what would you answer and why?

Absolutely worth it. The company respects the expertise and experience of its colleagues, giving them the opportunity to participate in the process of developing our products and solutions, thereby stimulating innovation.

The company invests in training and development, which play an important role in attracting, retaining, and engaging talent.

In addition, the balance between personal and professional life is strongly encouraged. We enjoy flexible working hours, a large number of vacation days and a hybrid model of work, including 30 working days a year, during which we can work from anywhere.

Is there a person or situation that has left a lasting positive impact on you – something you would share as an example of good leadership or collegiality?

Yes. This is my first supervisor in the company, which is based in Istanbul. Even during the interview, he made a very strong impression on me. After that, there followed a very well-organized onboarding (which is crucial for a large company like ours), and subsequently proved to be an exceptional leader. He gave me a very clear direction for work, trust, and freedom of action. Although he is currently not my manager, we continue to work together. He is the person who introduced me to the company culture and encouraged me to give my best, for which I am very grateful.