George Sharkov is the Director of ESI Center Eastern Europe – the regional excellence centre of the European Software Institute in Sofia. He graduated in Mathematics and Computer Science at Sofia University in 1986, and obtained PhD in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), specialising in applied informatics and applied research in biophysics and genetics (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and University of Gent – Belgium). Since 1994 he has been leading international teams and projects for software and information systems in the fields of banking and finances, online trading, e-business and e-commerce solutions, internet exchanges and B2B markets, and interactive and cross-media systems.

Among the initiators of BASSCOM - Bulgarian Association of Software Companies - and Chairman since the year 2001. Founder and manager of ESI Center Bulgaria since 2004. Qualified instructor in SPI (Software Process Improvement), implementation of CMMI, accredited ITMark instructor and appraiser. Initiator and promoter of the international initiatives for ICT regional branding and competitiveness. One of the initiators of the ICT Cluster Bulgaria.