Ellatzite-Med top managers talk about their career paths to 180 UMG students
More than 180 students have learned about the career success of six graduates of the University of Mining and Geology St Ivan Rilski (UMG), who are currently taking top management positions in the mining industry. A Career Day event has been organised for the third consecutive year. In 2022 and 2023, it was hosted by GEOTECHMIN GROUP. Now Dundee Precious Metals has picked up the baton. Traditionally, the event is attended by mining industry companies: Assarel-Medet JSC, Dundee Precious Metals Chelopech, Dundee Precious Metals Krumovgrad, and the companies
Geotechmin OOD, Ellatzite-Med AD, Geostroy AD and Geotrading AD from GEOTECHMIN GROUP.
‘I am incredibly grateful to the companies in the mineral raw materials industry for their trust in our university and for all they are doing to support our students, showing them that we are one community. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to PhD Eng. Ivan Vutov, Vice President of Geotechmin – our trustee, who believed in this idea two years ago and we are putting it into practice,’ said the UMG Rector Prof. PhD Ivaylo Koprev.
Mr Georgi Stoytchev, Executive Director of Open Society Institute – Sofia, explained that according to a survey, 8 out of 10 students at UMG reported that they had done internships and had been very satisfied with their practice in a real work environment, which proved to be extremely useful for them.
‘I graduated in Mining Engineering at UMG, and later specialized in Mine Management. I started working as a section shift foreman at Ellatzite-Med in 2002. So I have been working in the company for more than 21 years, climbing all rungs on the corporate ladder. I was a Deputy Director of Ellatzite Mine Complex for four years, and since the beginning of 2024 I have been appointed Director of the mine complex overseeing all activities related to the successful mine management, process optimisation, and raising production capacity,’ said M.Eng. Vasil Shishkov, Director of Ellatzite Mine Complex, part of GEOTECHMIN GROUP.
M.Eng. Sofia Torolova, Director of Administrative and Social Affairs, is one of the 550 women at Ellatzite-Med. From her first job as a worker, she rose through the ranks to become a top manager at the company. ‘While I was studying, I had to interrupt my higher education and start working. So in 1995, I found myself standing in front of the Executive Director of Ellatzite-Med, applying for a job. He told me that since I didn’t want to study, I’d have to start from scratch. My first position was an operator of an automated lubrication system and additionally I delivered tools and materials to other workers. Firstly, I felt anxious and scared about the work, but I decided not to give up. I was part of a great team of highly-skilled specialists who helped me gain valuable knowledge and experience, and very soon I knew what I wanted – to be like them,’ said M.Eng. Torolova. Consequently, she enrolled in the UMG and studied Automation, Information, and Control Engineering. This is how her career path started at Ellatzite-Med and over the past 30 years she has climbed all rungs on the corporate ladder to reach her current position.
On behalf of GEOTECHMIN GROUP, the event was attended by PhD Eng. Ivan Vutov, Vice President of Geotechmin OOD, and representatives of Geotrading AD and Geostroy AD. AT GEOTECHMIN GROUP’s booth, Human Resources representatives acquainted students with attractive internship and employability prospects in their companies.
