Manuela Naessl is the Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Bulgaria, a role she has held since September 2024. She succeeded Anca Ionescu, who now leads EBRD operations in Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Before her appointment in Sofia, Ms. Naessl led the EBRD office in Bosnia and Herzegovina for five years. There, she successfully steered the Bank’s operations through the COVID-19 crisis, strengthening support for connectivity and decarbonisation in the region. Her leadership was instrumental in aligning the Bank’s priorities with regional climate and infrastructure goals. In Bulgaria, Manuela Naessl focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of local enterprises, financing sustainable infrastructure, and advancing the development of financial products and capital markets. She brings significant expertise in climate and energy finance—an asset in supporting Bulgaria’s green transition, energy diversification, and renewable energy development. Ms. Naessl joined the EBRD in 2011, initially working in London on climate and natural resources issues, and on integrating banking with policy advisory. Prior to joining the Bank, she worked at the World Bank’s Energy Department in South Asia, developing energy projects in Afghanistan, and as an economist at the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, where she advised on renewable energy policy frameworks. She holds an MBA from the London Business School and a Master’s degree in International Economics. Under her leadership, the EBRD invested more than EUR 250 million in Bulgaria in 2025, with a strong focus on renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure.