Five Years with Dragomir Donkov: Building Teams, Driving Growth, and Keeping It Human
There’s a saying in tech that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. At LEAD, the opposite is also true: people stay because of the managers who make work more than deadlines and sprint boards.
This year we celebrate five years with Dragomir Donkov, Head of .NET Consulting. Five years of code, projects, and long client calls, yes! But also five years of growing a team that sticks together. Ask around, and the first thing you’ll hear is about the way his leadership shows up in the everyday work.
One teammate calls him “calm, analytical, fair-minded — the kind of person who always sees a problem from every side before deciding what to do.” Another describes him as “ambitious and approachable — the kind of leader who motivates you to aim higher, and then gives you the space to get there.”
And then there are the little rituals that have quietly become traditions: the first-Friday “virtual coffee” where code talk is optional and laughter is not, the karting nights that end in dinners, the regular 1:1s where people talk as much about life as about work. One developer laughs about how a casual chat about cars turned into Dragomir convincing him to buy a BMW. (They now jokingly call it the “company car.”)
That’s the real mark of five years here: not just the projects delivered, but the culture built.
In his own words
Q: Hi Drago! Celebrating your company birthday is a big moment. When you look back, what are you most proud of achieving during the last 5 years?
D: My biggest pride is growing the .Net team and moreover keeping everyone’s attention, motivation and commitment long-term. It’s so rewarding to see that your effort actually achieves results.
I like to use every occasion to remind myself and the team that our vision is having the environment and fundament for a long-term relationship and career in the company.
Q: The energy industry we work with is changing faster than ever. What’s one challenge you believe technology will help solve in the next decade?
D: There are so many “moving wheels” in almost any domain, but in Energy trading even more so. Technology can really make it easier to have the versitility of changing solutions, providers and your strategy quicker. It’s also key to have control and overview over every moving part. Without digitalization it’s practically impossible to have governance over your ecosystem.
Q: As the head of our .NET consulting team, what drives you the most when it comes to leading and inspiring your colleagues?
D: As any professional I struggled in some moments from my career development and learned some things the hard way. Now I don’t want to make it easy for people, but it really is rewarding to use your wisdom and struggles and turn them into a steady and predictable learning experience for others.
As a leader, my greatest wish is for my team to surpass me. I want to see them perform better and achieve greater results than I ever have, just like a parent wants their children to succeed.
I am super excited and happy every time I see my people can learn faster, develop better software than I could.
Q: We all know you’re a big BMW fan, but if your leadership style were a BMW, which model would it be and why? Is it the fast and fearless M series, the dependable 5 series, or maybe something entirely custom-built?
D: People who know me are aware that I am a bit of a petrol head. So, on that note I need a reliable car that also engages me. One that I have taken care of and invested in – and be 100% sure it’s reliable. I appreciate many new cars from all brands, but my way of leading is like having the old-school M3 E30/E46 or M5 E39 – it’s timeless, you just have to invest love and effort in it, take care of it, then it will hardly let you down and its value will never depreciate but only go up. That is what I try to do with my team.
Q: As both the leader of a team and a dad of a beautiful little girl, what have you learned from each role that helps you in the other?
D: As a leader I learned how important it is to be organized, take the initiative and be responsible – these skills helped society preserve and evolve on many occasions. And I hope they can help me shape a nicer world for the kids.
As a parent – a life-long journey is learning patience (I just had a taste of it and wish I master it some day). But also, children teach you that feelings and emotions must be expressed and communicated (both positive and negative) – only then can others really understand you and help you overcome situations.
Both complement each other in the sense that you must sometimes give people space, freedom and stage so they can learn new abilities and grow.
Five Years In, What Stays
Talk to anyone on Dragomir’s team and a pattern emerges. He’s described as someone who keeps priorities sharp when pressure rises, who shares credit before taking it, and who never leaves anyone stuck.
One developer said it best: “Work just feels lighter with Drago around.”
And maybe that’s the real legacy of these five years. Not just a stronger .NET practice, not just projects delivered at pace, but a culture that makes people want to stay, grow, and even joke about their manager convincing them to buy a car.
So here’s to Dragomir Donkov: five years of leadership that’s equal parts discipline and humor, mentorship and momentum. Five years of showing that the best managers build people and teams.
And if reading this makes you think “I’d like a manager like that” — well, good news. We’re hiring.
Here's How The Team Sees Him
Sead Ahmeti
Granit Bunjaku
Florent Bunjaku
Gabriela Nenkova
Anton Vlahov
