Dr Svetla Stoyanova-Bozhkova

Dr Svetla Stoyanova-Bozhkova was appointed Head of Subject Area for BCI & ESS at UWS London in 2024. She is leading a diverse team of academics and researchers and overseeing the delivery of a portfolio of postgraduate and undergraduate programmes in business management, accounting and finance, social sciences and education.

Svetla has extensive experience in senior executive positions in the industry and academia.  She joined UWS from Bournemouth University Business School where she was Deputy Head of Department for People & Organisations. Before that, she held posts as Head of Department Strategy, Marketing, T&H at CU London, and Deputy Rector and a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Management.  Svetla has a wide range of academic and research interests including emotional intelligence, leadership and change management, EDI with focus on people with disabilities, education for sustainable development, SDGs, destination management, customer experience management and cross-cultural issues. Svetla has been invited to deliver master classes in Strategic Management and Leadership skills to MBA students in universities in France, the Netherlands, Norway and Finland.

Svetla is a Chartered Manager and certified executive business coach and mentor. She has collaborated with the United Nations World Travel Organisation (UNWTO) Academy as a trainer for DCT Abu Dhabi and auditor for the QUEST certification. In March 2024, Svetla was awarded the National Mentoring Award for Best Mentor in the category ‘Personal Impact’.

Before joining academia, Svetla worked in the industry and held posts as Head of Research & Development, Director Marketing & Sales and Strategic Investors. She was a consultant for national, regional and local authorities and managed EU projects with focus on developing entrepreneurial skills and capacity, developing sustainable tourism offers and promoting sustainable destinations