About

Leadership isn't
just strategy

IT & AI Advisor. Author. 25+ years of worldwide experience bridging technology and human leadership. Based in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Iliyan Kostov
Iliyan KostovIT & AI Advisor · Author
25+
Years of worldwide experience
9+
Languages spoken or understood
2
Books — LEAD & The Ripple Effect
Six Sigma Black Belt · ITIL v3 · PPM
My Story

Built from experience,
not just credentials

My career spans 25+ years of worldwide experience — from commercial leadership across the Balkans and Eastern Europe, to managing global IT operations across multiple continents, to senior leadership roles across the EMEA region.

I started from the ground up — carrying quota, managing teams under pressure, navigating complex client relationships in markets that required real adaptability. That foundation shaped everything about how I think about leadership and technology.

What I've learned across those years is that the hardest problems are never purely technical. They're human. Communication. Trust. Culture. That conviction is at the heart of my advisory work — and the reason I wrote The LEAD Methodology.

I'm also currently writing The Ripple Effect — an honest exploration of the personal cost that leadership decisions carry, and what it means to lead with both strength and humanity.

What I Believe

Technology serves people.
Not the other way round.

I've led large-scale AI and automation implementations, driven significant operational improvements, and built teams that delivered under real pressure. The results were measurable: revenue increases, cost reductions, compliance milestones held consistently.

But the thing I'm most proud of is the people. The leaders I've mentored. The conversations that changed how someone saw themselves. The teams that found confidence they didn't know they had.

My advisory work and writing come from the same place: a belief that as AI handles more of the routine, the irreplaceable human skills become more valuable, not less. Empathy. Listening. Judgment. Connection.

Core Competencies

Where I add value

Strategic Leadership
AI Implementation & Automation
IT Operations Management
Change & Transition Management
Process Optimisation
SLA & KPI Management
Stakeholder & Vendor Management
P&L / EBITDA Improvement
Human-Centered Leadership (LEAD)
Global Operations Coordination
Cross-cultural Team Leadership
Shared Services Strategy
Career Journey

25+ years · 3 continents · multiple industries

1997–2013
Commercial & Executive Leadership — Eastern Europe & Balkans
Multiple senior roles across the regionPartners management, country management across Former Yugoslavia, executive direction of commercial operations. Built business development capabilities across Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia and beyond.
2013
Entry into global IT operations
IT & Customer Support — Brno, Czech RepublicBegan building deep expertise in IT service delivery and global customer support from the ground up.
2014–2018
Progressive leadership — Team Coordinator to Global IT Lead
IT Operations & Retail — Czech RepublicGrew through multiple leadership roles. Led global IT retail service desk operations across NA, APAC and EMEA. Critical incident management for 24/7 global retail operations.
2018–2020
IT Operations Manager
Customer Support — Czech Republic98% SLA & KPI compliance for 12 consecutive months. Improved support efficiency by 15% while maintaining full team capacity.
2020
Senior IT Operations Manager — 24/7 Customer Support
Relocated to Düsseldorf, GermanyLed 24/7 operations. Implemented shared service model — 18% revenue increase. Reduced project costs by 10% through innovative staffing strategy.
2023 →
Head EMEA — Centre of Excellence
Senior Leadership · Düsseldorf, GermanyStrategic direction of client operations across EMEA. 8% increase in employee utilisation. "Shift Left" strategy reducing operating costs by 2.5%. Standardised reporting frameworks across multiple business units.
Certifications & Education

Continuous learning

🏆
Six Sigma Black Belt2026
🔧
ITIL v3 Certified2017 · IT Service Management
📋
PPM Certified2017 · Project Portfolio Management
🔄
Transition Management Certificate2016 · Knowledge Transfer
🎯
Milestone 3.0 — Change & Critical Management2016
🎤
Milestone 2.0 — Presentation & Negotiation2014
💡
Leading Innovation & ChangeYork St John University · Zurich · 2013
🎓
Bachelor of Arts in ManagementUniversity of Management · Sofia, Bulgaria
Languages Bulgarian — Native English — Fluent Russian — Fluent Serbian — Fluent Croatian — Fluent Czech — Conversational Slovak — Conversational German — Conversational Slovenian — Conversational

Let's connect

Advisory, speaking invitations, or just a first conversation.

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