Country Leadership team

Abdi Hassan is the British Council’s Country Director for Romania and Bulgaria. A passionate advocate for cultural relations and inclusive leadership, he has worked across seven countries on three continents, including Rwanda, Iraq, and Nepal. Abdi has led diverse teams in challenging contexts and is committed to supporting young people, building trust through arts and education, and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Dimitar has a degree in International Relations from California State University, Long Beach.  He has experience from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as in the Customer Services and Operations teams in Bulgaria. He has a passion for systems and processes and speaks English and Italian. In his free time he enjoys traveling and dreams to travel the world.  Dimitar is also a professional baker and in his free time enjoys experimenting with new cake recipes.

Petya has a degree in Accounting and Finance from the Dimitar Tsenov Academy of Economics, and a wealth of experience from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian embassy in Australia, and from the British Embassy in Sofia. She grew up in Byala Slatina, a town in North West Bulgaria, speaks English, French and Russian, and is certainly the most sporty member of the team with her passion for orienteering and marathons. Petya has a sparkling sense of humour and a true flair for fashion.