Doroteya Valeva (‘04): 'There was a lot of teamwork at AUBG'
Practical work, case studies and leadership talks are an integral part of the AUBG curriculum. Professor Rossen Petkov’s Marketing class is no exception – this month, he invited AUBG alumna Doroteya Valeva (‘04), Customer Success Manager at Abalta Technologies, and Frank Gonzalez, Director of Products at Abalta Technologies. The two professionals met with AUBG students to present a marketing case study and spoke about the ins and outs of the automotive software development industry. We interviewed Doroteya to hear more about what sparked her interest in marketing and her experience with AUBG.
What was your first destination after AUBG?
My first destination after AUBG was a big local company in which I worked as a Junior Brand Manager. I spent around a year there, did some exploration afterward and then joined Procter and Gamble (P&G). This was a dream that I had since studying at AUBG because I majored in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and P&G was the number one company mentioned in the textbooks and classes. I had a worthwhile experience at P&G and the company has given me a lot. I learned and developed both as a person and a professional in the 13 years I spent there and after that, I was ready to move on to the next adventure. My current position is Customer Success Manager at Abalta Technologies, which is an IT company working in the automotive sector.
What are some of the highlights of your career?
I would say that while working at P&G, it was the ability to help so many people grow professionally and learn new things. I was in charge of different people throughout my time there and I would say seeing people grow and develop was the most cherished experience I had. The second one would be changing the industry. This was a significant step for me.
In what ways do you think that AUBG played a role in your career development, your interest in marketing, the skills that you gained?
When I enrolled in AUBG, my initial intention was to study Economics and Business Administration. Then throughout my studies, I changed my mind mostly because of the professors, or maybe one professor that I had, a marketing professor called Dudley Blossom. He was a fantastic instructor and I fell in love with the marketing area because of his courses. AUBG helped me to unleash my potential. There were a lot of practical things we did at AUBG. There was a lot of teamwork and projects and real-life case studies. This prepared me to be able to join the corporate sphere, where I further built my skills.
Would you say that you still keep in touch with other AUBGers?
I do keep in touch with a lot of AUBGers. The godmother of my daughter is an AUBG alumna. Almost daily, I am in touch with a friend I made while studying at AUBG.
And how did you enjoy living in Blagoevgrad?
I loved it. I lived on campus and I was actually a Resident Assistant as well. For me, Blagoevgrad (or Blago as we called it) was the perfect place for a university and for studying, so living there was a great experience. I also enjoyed that we had a very international community.