Maya Ash is an International Development Consultant and Project Management Specialist with over 20 years of experience leading international projects across the fields of sustainability, education, consumer protection, social impact, media, technology, and digital innovation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Economics, a Master’s degree in Business Management from the Tsenov Academy of Economics, and pursued doctoral research in Project Cycle Management in multicultural environments at New Bulgarian University.

Throughout her career, Maya has successfully managed initiatives funded by the European Commission, USAID, the Council of Europe, the Global Fund for HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis, and other international donors. She has led projects such as the Consumer Classroom and Dolceta 2.0 initiatives, promoting sustainable development, consumer education, and digital, environmental and financial literacy. She has also delivered impactful work in social sustainability and public health, including the Mental Health and HIV/AIDS Programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Roma Health Integration programmes supported by the Open Society Institute. In the area of sustainable business practices, consumer and health protection and SME development, she managed the South East European Network for SME Development under the European Commission’s Business Support Programme. Her work in education, training, and capacity building includes curriculum development and university-level teaching on EU project management at New Bulgarian University, contributing to capacity building with BIREME/PAHO in Brazil, and participation in the EuropeAid DEAR Study on Development Education and Awareness.

Maya is highly skilled in project cycle management, covering the identification of project ideas, fundraising, proposal writing, project implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. She has an excellent command of Logical Framework, SWOT analysis tools, proposal writing tools, and has designed comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems and indicators for a wide range of donor-funded projects. Her financial and administrative management expertise spans budgeting, financial reporting, procurement, and tendering under EU PRAG and USAID guidelines. She has developed and managed budgets for projects financed by the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Global Fund, EEA–EFTA, USAID, and a range of governmental bodies and independent foundations.

In the education and training sector, Maya has extensive experience in adult education, vocational education and training, secondary education, inclusive education, Roma integration, early school leaving prevention, and the implementation of EU and national education policies. She has developed educational and training materials for both face-to-face and online learning formats, and has lectured at university level on project cycle management, from fundraising to project evaluation.

Maya also possesses significant expertise in consumer rights, human rights, civil society development, sustainable development education, sustainable economy initiatives, financial literacy, climate change education, internet safety, and social media literacy. She has substantial experience working with donor-funded projects in the social sector, providing consultancy, project implementation support, humanitarian aid coordination, volunteer management, and the capacity building of civil society organisations.

Alongside her development consultancy work, Maya has extensive business management experience in the information technology sector, supporting the research, design, and development of media streaming and TV broadcast automation solutions. As Company Director at PlayBox Technology in the United Kingdom, she has led strategic operations and innovation initiatives, secured funding for innovative projects, and significantly increased operational efficiency and market growth. She is also a trusted external evaluator for the European Commission’s EACEA programmes and Cascade Funding schemes, assessing proposals in education, creative industries, and digital transformation.

Speaking five languages (Bulgarian, English, Russian, French, and German), Maya is experienced in operating within multicultural and multidisciplinary environments, championing sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation. She is an active member of professional organisations including the Institute of Directors, the Non-Executive Directors’ Association, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Chartered Governance Institute, the Corporate Governance Institute, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.