Biography

Dr. Lilyana Pavlova is a Bulgarian economist and public policy leader with more than 25 years of experience in European integration, development finance, innovation, and strategic investment. She has held senior leadership roles at both EU and national level, advancing cohesion, connectivity, and the twin green and digital transitions across Europe and its neighbourhood.

As Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (2019–2023), she oversaw the Bank’s operations in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Turkey, and the Western Balkans, as well as portfolios on Cohesion Policy financing, transport and road safety, advisory services, digital transformation, and innovation-driven financing. She played a key role in expanding EIB’s support for the EU Green Deal, boosting investment in digitalisation, and launching new initiatives under the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

Previously, she served as Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU (2018), managing Bulgaria’s first Presidency and steering dialogue on competitiveness, innovation, enlargement, and European priorities. She also held two terms as Minister of Regional Development and Public Works (2011–2013; 2014–2017), the first woman in the ministry’s history, where she advanced territorial cohesion, housing, water, and infrastructure modernisation. A four-term Member of Parliament, she contributed to legislation on EU affairs and innovation-oriented public investment, after earlier experience as Head of Department at the Ministry of Finance, responsible for the financial management and certification of EU funds.

She has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and awarded the Crans Montana Forum “New Leader of Tomorrow” distinction.