The leading investor in the Bulgarian energy sector, AES Bulgaria, opened its expanded Regional Shared Service Center in Sofia. The company has invested a total of BGN 2 million in the center so far, as part of its move to gradually expand its portfolio activities in Bulgaria. The center serves the company’s business in the areas of Finance, IT, Supply, Human resources and Communications for Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
At the opening, the President of AES Bulgaria Olivier Marquette said our country had proved to be a regional center that would be increasingly important for the company’s development and that highly qualified specialists and Bulgaria’s strategic position would have a decisive role in attracting investments in the future.
The company serves businesses in many different time zones from Ireland to Vietnam, and Sofia is located in the middle, making the operation easier. The decision to open a Shared Service Center in Bulgaria was also made based on the favorable investment environment as well as the political and macroeconomic stability of Bulgaria.
Currently, the Shared Service Center in Sofia employs more than 100 highly qualified employees and their number is expected to grow. The company launched its regional center in 2013 with 15 employees. It initially served the company’s business in the fields of Finance, IT, Supply and Delivery for Europe and the Middle East. In 2016 and 2017, the center was expanded significantly, by adding the Human resources and Communications functions. In 2017, the center is already working for the company’s businesses in 7 countries – Bulgaria, Jordan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland, India, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Another major company, Coca-Cola, announced its intention to close its factory in Weimar, Germany, and move its Finance and Human resources departments to Bulgaria. The work will be transferred to Coca-Cola European Partner Services in Sofia. The decision to close the factory in Germany was based on declining sales of refillable PET bottles. That is why the production and administrative operations there will also be discontinued.
