Mr. Alessandro Profumo, the Chief Executive Officer of UniCredit Group, was awarded with Honorary Sign by the President during their meeting. The distinction was given to Mr. Profumo and UniCredit Group for the contribution to the development of Bulgarian financial market.

Besides the President, Mr. Profumo was also accepted by the Prime Minister Mr. Sergey Stanishev and the Governor of Bulgarian National Bank Mr. Ivan Iskrov.

For his dedicated work and commitment to creating one of the biggest European Banks Alessandro Profomo was named in 2007 the European Business Leader of the Year, awarded by CNBC Europe. The same year he received the Institutional Investor award for Best Banker in Europe. Member of a number of international organisations including:

the European Banking Federation – Brussels, the European Financial Services Round Table – London, the Italian group of the Trilateral Commission, the Investment Advisory Council for Turkey – Istanbul and the Institut International d’Etudes Bancaires – Brussels. He is Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of ABI – Associazione Bancaria Italiana ; Member of the Board of Directors of the Teatro alla Scala Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors of the Luigi Bocconi University; Member of the Board of Directors of the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation.

During his visit in Bulgaria today Mr. Profumo is accompanied by Mr. Erich Hampel, Head of Central and Eastern Europe Division in UniCredit Group, Mr. Federico Ghizzoni, Head of Poland’s Market Division, Mr. Carmine Lamanda, Head of Institutional Bodies Strategy Advisory and Mr. Giuseppe Scognamiglio, Head of International and Institutional Relations.