“Have a lunch with”… Jock Nunan – Country Managing Partner & Assurance Services Leader at PwC Bulgaria

Тhis year, for the fifth time in a row, the campaign “Have a lunch with the CEO” brings together many ambitious young people with the leaders of 38 companies in various sectors in our country. More than 400 young people took part in the campaign and applied to meet the leaders they see as their potential mentors. Great companies are involved, and the candidates competing to win a meeting with their leaders are impressive.

Today, we share with you the inspiring story of Nikolay Pachev, who had the opportunity to meet Jock Nunan – Country Managing Partner & Assurance Services Leader at PwC Bulgaria. Why is the story inspiring? For now, we’ll only mention that from the beginning of the next month, Nikolay will be a part of the PwC team. ⭐

See what are Jock’s impressions of his meeting with Nikolay:

What motivated you to participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the CEO…”?

At PwC, we believe that it’s of great importance to support young talents in their first career steps and professional development. That is why we organise and participate in various students’ initiatives and campaigns for graduates.

The “Have a lunch with the CEO” campaign is an excellent opportunity to meet motivated young Bulgarians in the beginning of their career journey and help them maximize their potential. Choosing your career path is quite difficult itself, so we encourage people to collect as much information as possible prior to making a decision.

PwC is a workplace where you can learn from others and have the support you need to grow your skills. Sharing knowledge is highly valued and encouraged. We try to make a difference by supporting our colleagues to grow and work in the ways that bring out their best. Our Leadership team and all the professionals are always ready to share their experience and provide guidance to young talents.

What determined your choice of a campaign winner? Why did you choose Nikolay?

Thank you to everyone who applied. Choosing a winner was not that easy, but I am glad I had the opportunity to meet Nikolay. It was important that the winner was a proactive person, interested in professional services and finance, so that I can provide real-world business advice, using my relevant knowledge and experience.

Would you please let us know how the meeting went? What is the one thing you will remember from it?

The lunch with Nikolay went great. It was a pleasure for me to meet such a self-motivated young professional who loves challenges and finds ways to overcome them.

In fact, what inspired me the most was seeing that so many talents are motivated to develop in Bulgaria and make their dreams come true here. Just like Nikolay. Тhey are keen on learning and progressing and look for interesting opportunities to do so.

What do you think are Nikolay’s strongest qualities?

Nikolay is self-driven and enthusiastic. He is eager to improve his skills, gain knowledge and experience as part of a dynamic and thriving environment. Nikolay asked relevant questions and showed a true interest in our profession.

Did you learn something new from your conversation with Nikolay? What was it?

Yes, Nikolay shared interesting details about martial arts and his family business. He also explained what it’s like to be an accounting tutor at the university while still studying.

Would you participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the CEO…” again?

The initiative supports young people’s growth and development, so we will definitely join the next edition.

What advice would you give to young people who are yet to participate?

Don’t be afraid to participate. This could help you a lot when choosing your future career. Explore the different opportunities, be open minded and inquisitive, like Nikolay.

Nikolay also shares his impressions from the meeting:

How did you find out about the campaign “Have a lunch with the CEO…” and what motivated you to join it?

I am an active student and I always try to keep up with the campaigns that allow students to dive into the real world of work. Therefore, I am usually open to a discussion with colleagues of mine, regarding career development, job opportunities, mentorship sessions, and more. One day, I stumbled upon an interview with my friend Rado, streamed live on National Television and this is how I decided to research more about the campaign.

What motivated me to join is that such campaigns allow for real interaction with high-level managers, who share lunch with motivated students that just start their careers. For me, to be able to have lunch with a professional in my sphere of interest was very valuable and allowed me to ask many questions and initiate an enjoyable conversation.

Why did you choose Jock Nunan? 

Mr. Nunan is a great professional, and he has inspired me with his dedication to the field of audit and assurance. His career path is diverse in terms of locations, where he had to navigate and adapt to various situations, therefor his experience is one of a kind.

Would you, please, let us know how the meeting went? What is the one thing you will remember from it?

The meeting was very dynamic, and we were actively engaging in storytelling and digging into some topics of great interest to me. One thing that I will remember from our meeting was that Mr. Nunan was keen on me sharing my path in a professional aspect, which made a long-lasting impression. Then, he shared his personal experience, and we elaborated on some life decisions he had to make.

What about Mr Nunan made the strongest impression on you?

Mr. Nunan had been familiar with my CV, which made me delighted and relieved that I did not need to explain where I am coming from or where I study. This gesture of interest triggered a spark in me, and I felt he is eager to chat openly on many topics.

What was the most valuable advice you got from him?

I gained a lot of advice as the discussion with Mr. Nunan continued for more than an hour and a half, but what made the greatest impact was how he underlined that it is normal not to have everything planned in advance, in terms of professional and personal life. He shared his experience with people who were focused on the end goal and missed lots of opportunities along the way.

Would you participate in the campaign “Have a lunch with the CEO…” again?

100% yes! The initiative is very helpful to meet amazing professionals and have the chance to share lunch with them. If a person wants to develop their career in the corporate world such an opportunity is priceless, given that these are the most important people in organizations.

What advice would you give to young people who are yet to participate?

Shyness is the greatest enemy you can have when going on lunch with the boss of any company. Every participant must feel confident and proud because the manager has decided to have lunch with them, therefore, he would be eager to have a nice chat and dig into their CVs. The most important advice, however, is to have fun and get the best use of such lunch and ask for everything that they consider appropriate.