United Media, the leading media company in Southeast Europe, has announced the appointment of Krasimira Hadzhiyska as the new CEO of Nova Broadcasting Group.

With over 22 years of experience within the company, Hadzhiyska is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the business and its strategic direction. In recent years, she has served as COO of the company, playing a key role in its development as a market leader.

She will succeed Dirk Gerkens, who becomes Chairman of Nova Broadcasting Group and remains Member of the Board and Director of Programming, Production, and Advertising Sales at United Media. Gerkens will continue overseeing the long-term development of Nova Broadcasting Group’s news and current affairs programming, ensuring the highest journalistic standards upheld by United Media across all its markets.

Vyara Ankova has been appointed as the new COO of Nova Broadcasting Group. She will be responsible for overseeing the overall content strategy across the group’s television channels and digital platforms, further enhancing its media presence.

“We are delighted to appoint Krasimira Hadzhiyska as CEO of Nova Broadcasting Group. Her leadership and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the company’s success, making her the perfect choice to drive its continued growth. Vyara Ankova’s vast experience in media management will be invaluable in strengthening our content strategy and expanding our audience reach. With this strong leadership team, we are confident that Nova Broadcasting Group will continue to grow, innovate, and set new industry standards. I would also like to thank Dirk Gerkens for his remarkable leadership and commitment to Nova Bulgaria, successfully maintaining and advancing the company’s market-leading position,” said Aleksandra Subotić, CEO of United Media.

Krasimira Hadzhiyska joined Nova Broadcasting Group in 2003 as a Key Account Manager and has played a crucial role in its transformation into Bulgaria’s media market leader. She became Sales Director in 2009 and later led the Sales, Marketing, and PR departments until 2022. She was instrumental in securing key partnerships with global networks such as The Walt Disney Company, FOX, AXN, and Discovery, positioning Nova as a pioneer in Bulgaria’s media landscape. Krasimira Hadzhiyska has completed a number of specialized trainings in management and television sales, some of which at the headquarters of Discovery Channel (Washington, USA) and WCOV-TV Fox 20 (USA).

Vyara Ankova joined Nova Broadcasting Group in 2017 as General Director of News and became CEO in 2019. Until now, she held the position New Content and Strategy Development Chief Officer of Nova Broadcasting Group. She previously served as Director General of the Bulgarian National Television (2010–2017) and was a CNN stringer. She has specialized at the BBC and CNN, and media management at the European Broadcasting Union. Vyara Ankova is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.