Didi’s big dreams are unleashing her potential

My role is to consult and collaborate with global program owners to help them deliver on their strategic priorities. I work with members of the team on the design process, formulation of the training plans, and development of a resourcing model.

I help convert aspirations into actionable, measurable, and impactful projects.

Although I am based in Sofia, Bulgaria I am still part of a Global team, which allows me to collaborate with colleagues from across the world, e.g., Singapore, China, Israel, Spain, Ireland, and the US.

The team set up, welcomes and encourages diversity, in the sense of partnering with bright individuals who have great ideas, high passion, and new perspectives.

I am immersed in a working environment that is nurturing but challenging.

What is interesting in my case is that I have changed roles in HP – I was fortunate to have the same manager.

Thanks to my manager, I have grown both professionally and personally. He has high standards, serves as my role model, knows what I am capable of, and sets inspiring and developmental goals.

Not only do I work in Talent & Learning, but I am also very committed to my continuous learning.

I am so grateful to HP for giving me the opportunity to get an MBA with a follow-up specialization in HR Management from the University of Phoenix.

Their investment gave me wings to think big, dare more, and fly higher. At the same time, I had to learn to have resilience and to keep pushing myself to work full time, study during the evenings and the weekends for two years with no breaks and no holidays.

Even on Christmas Eve 2012 I studied until the last possible moment and then took my Business Law exam.

Happily, I nailed it! I completed my studies with a 4.0 GPA and was selected to be the valedictorian of the class of 2014.

This experience was one of the milestones in my life. I never thought that I, an Eastern European woman, would be speaking to the 1,500 people in a stadium in Boston, Massachusetts.

I would advise someone to never give up on what they really want to do.

I believe that the most powerful force on Earth is the human soul on fire. That fire will allow you to build something that the rest have not seen, and it starts with that dream.

Speaking of dreams, one of mine was to have a family. My husband is from Slovakia, and together we are raising our 2-year old daughter.

Working parents face many challenges, and a common goal is to achieve that mysterious work-life balance that everyone is speaking about, but no one has reached.

My interpretation of this enigma is that there are times in which my child will need me, and I have to be there, and there are times in which I will be executing a critical project, and I will have to work extra after everyone at home is asleep.

The key for me is that I am passionate about my job and if you are not, there are so many opportunities in HP, just move.

In HP there are many ways to contribute.

While I was pregnant, I became a core board member of the Women’s Impact Network (WIN) in Bulgaria.

During my maternity leave, I had the opportunity to reflect on female strength, endurance, the importance of supporting each other, and the body’s ability to function with little sleep.

Following my return to work, I jumped straight in with ideas, maximizing my professional network, and giving my heart for the cause.

Three months later I was selected as the chair of the board, and since then we are WINing with empowering success stories, creating a back-from-maternity program, coaching and mentoring, offering training, and recognizing key female celebrations such as International’s Women Week.

What amazes me about the WIN team is that it is solely a volunteering activity on top of everything else; people do not receive any perks.

Our budget is limited, but this is not a limitation. It pushes us to be innovative and seize opportunities.

I guess that they see the willingness and desire that my WIN teammates, Ani, Galya, Nelly, Oana, Poli, Teddy put in our work.

We apply our job capabilities to our volunteering activities, but our volunteering passion fuels our daily jobs creating the game changer.

The combination of internal entrepreneurship that is nurtured in HP, the focus on diversity and inclusion, and the synergy among great minds create an environment that allows me to unleash my potential.