Velislava Petrova
Chief Program Officer & Biotechnology Director
Velislava has a dual role at CFG: she oversees our programs to ensure they contribute towards common impact goals. She also leads the work on biosecurity and the implementation of biotechnology solutions in healthcare.
After realising that science can only bring impact to society when combined with supportive policies and strong financial ecosystem, Velislava navigated a diverse career path spanning academia, multiple international organisations and government.
She worked at UNAIDS on healthcare innovations for the Global South, and helped build a nexus between inventors, funders and policy makers.
At the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, she moved to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance where she worked on vaccine investments for emerging pathogens. She’s also been a consultant for WHO and the World Bank in the areas of vaccine policy and dsaster risk management.
In additon to her broad international experience, Velislava served as a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in her home country Bulgaria where she was responsible for European affairs, multilateral organisations and economic diplomacy.