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  1. Home
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  3. Stefan Ivanov
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Stefan Ivanov

MBA
Motivational Speaker & World-first ocean rower
Country or state 
Bulgaria
Available to 
Global
City 
Sofia
Fee 
Languages 
English,
Bulgarian
Volunteer
No
Timezone 
Europe/Sofia

Personal Details

Bio

Rowed across the Atlantic, Arctic, Southern and Indian Oceans blazing word-first routes. It all started when Stefan and his 16-year old son Maxim built a boat in their garage and stuck their oars in the Atlantic during the hurricane season... as described in their acclaimed book "NEVEREST".

Day job: Co-founder of Challenger Capital Management, Ex-CEO of Citibank Bulgaria

Current position (3)

Motivational Speaker & World-first ocean rower

Co-founder & Managing Partner

Challenger Capital Management

Ex-CEO for Bulgaria

Citibank

Achievements (10)
Guinness Record: First row of Atlantic in hurricane season
Guinness Record: First rowing expedition from the Antarctic
Guinness Record: First row on Southern Ocean South to North
Guinness Record: First row entirely within Southern Ocean
Guinness Record: First rowing expedition on the Scotia Sea
Guinness Record: Southernmost start of a rowing expedition
Guinness Record: Fastest row on the Southern Ocean
Guinness Record: Fastest Polar row
Guinness Record: Longest distance rowed on the Southern Oce
Gold Medal, Mixed double scull, World Masters Rowing Regatta

At the age of 50, at his first rowing competition, Stefan Ivanov and his rowing coach Victoria Dimitrova won a gold medal at the World Masters Rowing Regatta in 2022 in Liborne, France

Degrees (3)
Program for Leadership Developmenrt
Harvard Business School
2006 to 2007
Financial Engineering
Cornell University Graduate School of Business
1995 to 1997
Business Administration
American University in Bulgaria
1991 to 1995

Presentations

Presentations (1)
Achieving seemingly "impossible" goals

The more daring the goals you decide to pursue, the more help you can find to achieve them. Building an empowered and cohesive team will get you further ahead than you might imagine. Curiosity, experience and gratitude will help you kill the monster fears on your way. The more storms you encounter, the greater the satisfaction when you achieve your ambitions.

Past talks (44)
“Nothing is impossible"
SHELL
Bulgaria
February 11, 2025
Motivational talk
VM WARE
Bulgaria
March 23, 2022
200 Leaders Conference: Grinta = Passion + Perseverance
COCA COLA
Bulgaria
March 9, 2023
Motivational talk
ASTRA ZENECA
Bulgaria
January 14, 2025
Motivational talk
HEWLET PACKARD
Bulgaria
November 10, 2020
Motivational talk
CITIBANK
Bulgaria
March 25, 2021
Motivational talk
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS
United Kingdom
January 29, 2021
Motivational talk
THE WORLD BANK
Bulgaria
December 19, 2022
Motivational talk
ZENTIVA
Bulgaria
January 21, 2021
Motivational talk
SITEGROUND
Bulgaria
December 8, 2022
Motivational talk
LINDT
Bulgaria
March 13, 2024
Motivational talk
LIDL
Bulgaria
January 25, 2021
Motivational talk
BOSCH
Bulgaria
December 9, 2021
Motivational talk
NOVARTIS
Bulgaria
September 26, 2023
Motivational talk
KAUFLAND
Bulgaria
April 19, 2024
First team to row across the Indian Ocean
CHALLENGE DAYS
Bulgaria
November 6, 2025
Commencement speaker for the classes 2020 & 2021
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN BULGARIA
Bulgaria
May 9, 2021
Motivational talk
EUROBANK
Bulgaria
November 8, 2021
Motivational talk
KBC / UBB
Bulgaria
June 1, 2023
Motivational talk
MILESTONE
Bulgaria
February 4, 2021
Motivational talk
MOLSON COORS / KAMENITZA
Bulgaria
February 27, 2025
Motivational talk
UPDATA ONE
Bulgaria
February 27, 2025
Motivational talk
SOFIA AIRPORT
Bulgaria
June 3, 2022
Motivational talk
NATIONAL SPORT ACADEMY
Bulgaria
March 23, 2023
Motivational talk
LAUNCHUB
Bulgaria
May 14, 2024
Motivational talk
INVENIO / NASEKOMO
Bulgaria
April 17, 2024
Presenting "The Shackleton Row" documentary film
BANSKO FILM FEST
Bulgaria
November 22, 2025
Motivational talk
NETERRA
Bulgaria
February 2, 2024
Motivational talk
PLASTCHIM-T
Bulgaria
October 3, 2025
Motivational talk
UNIQUE ESTATES
Bulgaria
February 28, 2022
Motivational talk
AG Capital
Bulgaria
March 24, 2022
Motivational talk
CARGOTEC
Bulgaria
October 9, 2023
Motivational talk
AURUBIS
Bulgaria
January 29, 2021
Motivational talk
INDUSTRIAL HOLDING BULGARIA
Bulgaria
October 19, 2024
Motivational talk
BULGARIAN STOCK EXCHANGE
Bulgaria
January 20, 2021
Motivational talk
BUSSINESS WOMEN ALLIANCE
Bulgaria
October 7, 2025
Motivational talk
YOUNG PRESIDENTS' ORGANIZATION
Bulgaria
November 11, 2023
Motivational talk
CEO ANGELS CLUB
Bulgaria
March 11, 2023
Navigating parenthood & ambition together
CEO MOMENTS
Bulgaria
December 16, 2025
Motivational talk
COFACE
Bulgaria
February 16, 2024
Motivational talk
AXPO
Bulgaria
June 8, 2024
Motivational talk
EOS MATRIX
Bulgaria
June 29, 2023
Motivational talk
NIK
Bulgaria
December 18, 2020
Motivational talk
VANTAGE
Bulgaria
December 11, 2020
  • All (4)
  • Videos
  • Photos (1)
  • Slides (1)
  • One sheet (1)
  • Press information (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
NEVEREST book - available on Amazon
NEVEREST book - available on Amazon
Stefan Ivanov - ocean rower and motivational speaker
VMware Speaker Series presents the NEVEREST Ocean Row with Stefan Ivanov and Maxim Ivanov

Books & Articles (8)

NEVEREST
VAKON ,
2021
НЕВЕРЕСТ
Вакон,
2021
Bulgarian father and son row across Arctic Ocean for endangered species
Father and Son Crossing Atlantic in Hurricane Season
Bulgarian Stefan Ivanov on the Verge of Three Guinness World Records after Historic Indian Ocean Crossing
Rowing Across Oceans: Stefan Ivanov's Next Challenge and a Dream Beyond the Horizon
Bulgarian Father and Son Crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a Rowing Boat
4,444 nautical miles: Bulgarian father and son crossed the Atlantic ocean in a rowing boat

Expertise (11)

Leadership
Travel & Adventure
Sport & Hobbies
Motivational speaker CEO Endurance afficionado Team Building Achieving goals Facing Challenges Empowering Employees overcoming fears

Clients

SHELL
VM WARE
COCA COLA
ASTRA ZENECA
HEWLET PACKARD
THE WORLD BANK
CITIBANK
ZENTIVA
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS
SITEGROUND
LINDT
LIDL
BOSCH
KAUFLAND
CHALLENGE DAYS
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN BULGARIA
NOVARTIS
EUROBANK
KBC / UBB
MILESTONE
MOLSON COORS / KAMENITZA
UPDATA ONE
SOFIA AIRPORT
NATIONAL SPORT ACADEMY
LAUNCHUB
INVENIO / NASEKOMO
BANSKO FILM FEST
NETERRA
PLASTCHIM-T
UNIQUE ESTATES
AG CAPITAL
CARGOTEC
AURUBIS
BULGARIAN STOCK EXCHANGE
INDUSTRIAL HOLDING BULGARIA
BUSSINESS WOMEN ALLIANCE
YOUNG PRESIDENTS' ORGANIZATION
CEO ANGELS CLUB
CEO MOMENTS
COFACE
AXPO
EOS MATIX
NIK
VANTAGE

Awards & certifications (4)

Man of the Year
DARIK Academy
2020
Awakener of the year
bTV
2021
Agent of change
Agent of change
2024
Gold Medal of Honor 1st degree
Ministry of Health of Bulgaria
2020

Reviews

Testimonials (3)
  • At VMware we run a series of motivational speaker talks inviting innovators, distruptors, and people with extrodinary experience. I was honored and pleased to host an hour-long interview with Stefan, an amazing guest speaker. His stories of conquest, struggle, and achievement are soaked with humility, purpose, and devotion. Stefan not only inspires with his successes but also leads the audience on a journey where the impossible is only a single stretch away. He is poised, thoughtful, and, astonishingly, so down-to-earth and real. Listening to Stefan even only for a few minutes makes you think, relate and more importantly act - to go and get your dream, conquer your own Neverest.
    Ivelin Nikoalev
    Director, Cloud Management
    VMware
    VMware Speaker Series presents the NEVEREST Ocean Row with Stefan Ivanov and Maxim Ivanov
    23/03/2022
    More
    Audience engagement 
    We had attendance from as many as 42 countries around the globe.
    Subject matter expertise 
    Noone before had done such a trip and the Guinness records Stefan have proven it.
  • At Shell Bulgaria, we had the privilege of inviting Stefan Ivanov as a motivational speaker for our annual staff engagement meeting, which aims to celebrate past successes, share business goals for the new year, and inspire our team for future achievements. For 2025, the theme was “Nothing is impossible,” and Stefan, together with his son Maxim, delivered a session that perfectly embodied this message. They captivated our audience by sharing their extraordinary journey across the Atlantic, Southern, and Arctic Oceans aboard their boat Neverest. Their story of resilience, courage, and determination deeply resonated with our team and left a lasting impression. Stefan’s ability to communicate complex experiences in an authentic and engaging way is remarkable. He speaks with humility and openness, making his message relatable and inspiring. What truly sets him apart is his genuine connection with people—he engaged in dialogue, signed books with personalized messages, and demonstrated a down-to-earth attitude that made the experience unforgettable. Months later, colleagues still recall his words and apply them in their daily lives—a testament to the lasting impact of his session. If you are looking for a speaker who can inspire, empower, and leave your audience with practical lessons on perseverance and self-belief, Stefan Ivanov is an outstanding choice.
    Kamelia Slaveykova, Chair of the Board of Directors, Shell Bulgaria
    Verified
  • A couple of years ago World Bank staff in Sofia, Bulgaria had the pleasure to meet with Stefan and his son Maxim, who shared their fascinating story of crossing the Atlantic Ocean with a rowing boat, built by them. Stefan and Maxim are adventurers, and seafarers who dare to follow their dreams and pursue goals most people would consider unachievable. It took them 105 days to cross the ocean, but their journey started long before their boat sailed from Portimão, Portugal with 18 months of meticulous preparation for the endeavor and all risks they might face. Their story was an inspiring example of strong motivation, will to overcome the challenges and perseverance, against the odds, which made it possible to complete this remarkable journey. Stefan is an adventurer at heart, and has completed other remarkable feats worth sharing. To name one which impressed me - he is among the selected group of athletes who have swum solo across the English Channel.
    Grigor Milanov
    Verified
Recommendations
Why choose me? 

Will share how to achieve "impossible" goals, supercharge teams, thrive outside one's comfort zone.

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