CluneTech Newsletter H1 2025■

A Milestone Year for IDLF: Strong Close for Sub Fund 1 and Promising Growth for Sub Fund 3

The first half of 2025 has been exceptionally busy and successful for the Irish Diaspora Loan Fund (IDLF). A major highlight was the full closure of IDLF Sub Fund 1, with all shareholders receiving their original investments back in full—an outcome that was met with great satisfaction among investors.

These investors, having secured residency in Ireland through the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), have gone on to make significant contributions to Irish society. Many have progressed to become Irish citizens, bringing with them a wealth of talent, skills, and entrepreneurial spirit. While their formal investment journey with IDLF may have concluded, their continued engagement in Ireland’s economy is a lasting legacy that benefits communities across the country.
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PTI Returns: A New Era Begins!

Understanding Flexible Working at CluneTech

So, what flexible working options does CluneTech offer? See for yourself below!
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Remote and Hybrid Working

We’re committed to supporting flexibility wherever we can – helping our people find the right balance between work and life. Our approach to remote and hybrid working offers many employees the opportunity to split their time between the office and other locations, enabling greater autonomy and supporting wellbeing, productivity and job satisfaction. We recognise, however, that some roles require a more regular or permanent presence in the office – whether due to the nature of the work, the need for in-person collaboration, or access to specific systems or equipment. In these cases, we aim to provide a consistent, positive and supportive workplace experience. There’s no single model that works for everyone, which is why we tailor our working arrangements to suit both individual roles and business needs. CluneTech will continue to make every reasonable effort to accommodate flexible working requests, always balancing personal needs with operational requirements. Wherever and however you work, our goal remains the same – to foster a culture where everyone can thrive.
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Flexible Working Hours

Flexible working hours allow you to stagger your start and finish times, giving you the freedom to handle personal responsibilities such as school runs, medical appointments, or education. By working with your manager, you can create a schedule that fits both your needs and your team’s. Additionally, the opportunity to make up time later if you need to be absent from work for a while or leave early for an appointment is also an available option which you can discuss with your line manager if needed.
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Life-Work Days

Life-Work Half Days each quarter let you focus on personal matters without the need to make up the time later. These could be anything from bringing your car to the mechanic to painting your house. The good news is there's no eligibility criteria so you can use your ½ day for whatever you need.
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Flexi-Time

Flexi-Time lets you work five days over 4.5 days, giving you longer weekends and theability to customize your working week to fit your lifestyle or currentpersonal needs.
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Enhanced Annual Leave Options

Our enhanced annual leave options include Volunteer Day, compassionate leave, pregnancy support, miscarriage leave, pet compassionate leave, IVF leave, and additional annual leave days for long-term employees. These optionsreinforce our commitment to supporting you through challenging times andpromoting overall well-being.
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Part-Time Work

Part-time work is available for those needing reduced hours. This flexibility isparticularly helpful during life transitions such as returning to work aftermaternity or paternity leave, managing young children, or gradually movingtoward retirement. Part-time roles are agreed upon between you and your managerto ensure the role is effective.
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Job Sharing

Job sharing allows two employees to split a full-time role’s duties and responsibilities, sharing pay and benefits proportionally. This option encourages teamwork and can bring fresh perspectives and innovation to CluneTech. Please note that this option is not available for our Bulgarian employees.
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How to Make Flexible Working Work For You (…and Us)

Please note that all flexible working arrangements require managerial approval and depend on business needs. These arrangements are not contractual rights and may be modified if necessary.

Successful flexible working depends on open communication and cooperation between you and your manager. Together, you can discuss options that fit your personal situation while maintaining team effectiveness.

For more detailed information about employee flexibility options, please read your local CluneTech’s Policy on Flexible Working and CluneTech Policy on Leave, which you can find in the Workvivo’s Document Section.

At CluneTech, we’re committed to helping you thrive both at work and in life—because when you succeed, we all succeed.

Reflecting CluneTech's Core Values in the Recruitment Process: A Holistic Approach to Hiring

Respect: Building Strong Collaborative Teams

Innovation: Embracing Creativity and New Ideas

Passion: Energy and Enthusiasm for the Role

Cultural Fit: Aligning with CluneTech’s #OneTeam Value

From Employee of the Quarter to #OneTeam Awards: A Legacy of Recognition

Over 12 years ago, CluneTech launched an initiative to spotlight outstanding individual contributions through what was then known as Employee of the Quarter. As our company evolved, so too did our approach to recognition. In 2019, inspired by employee feedback, the program was reimagined and relaunched as the #OneTeam Awards.

This transformation reflected more than just a name change — it marked a deeper commitment to recognising the collective effort that fuels our business.

Today, the #OneTeam Awards take place twice a year, giving employees across the globe the opportunity to nominate a colleague whose contributions reflect one of our core values: Innovation, OneTeam, Passion, and Respect. These nominations reinforce our ongoing commitment to living these values in our everyday work.
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From lively in-office celebrations to heartfelt doorstep award deliveries during remote work, the #OneTeam Awards have become a meaningful tradition filled with unforgettable moments. These celebrations strengthen the bonds between colleagues, highlighting the impact of each individual’s work, and reinforcing the values that make CluneTech a unique and inspiring place to be.

#OneTeam Awards Nomination and Recognition Process: What You Need to Know

• The #OneTeam Awards take place twice per year, in March and September.
• Nominations are submitted through Workvivo. When nominations open, your activity feed will update to allow easy submission from the main feed.
• Each employee can nominate one person across the entire group, including outside their team or company.
• Winners are announced in line with our core values: Respect, One Team, Innovation, and Passion.
• The number of awards per business is based on the size of that business and the number of employees in it.
• Winners are announced on Workvivo by each business's CEO soon after the nomination form closes.

Recognition Beyond the #OneTeam Awards

While the #OneTeam Awards are a standout celebration of collaboration and excellence, they’re just one part of CluneTech’s broader commitment to recognising our people. We offer a wide range of recognition initiatives that celebrate contributions both big and small, across all levels of the organisation:

• Milestone Recognition Programme – Honouring the dedication of our long-serving team members.
• Global Employee of the Year Awards – Celebrating individuals whose impact and performance have stood out over the year.
• Workvivo Shout-Outs – Enabling real-time, peer-to-peer recognition for everyday efforts and achievements, both within and across teams.
• Celebrating Personal and Professional Highlights – From birthday cards and new baby gifts to congratulatory hampers for passing exams, we take pride in acknowledging life’s special moments and supporting our employees in all their successes.

A Culture Built on Recognition and Unity

At CluneTech, recognition is more than a program — it’s a reflection of who we are. The #OneTeam Awards, along with our wider recognition initiatives, demonstrate our commitment to valuing every individual and celebrating the spirit of teamwork that drives our success. As we continue to grow and evolve, we remain dedicated to fostering a culture where people feel seen, appreciated, and inspired — because when we celebrate each other, we thrive together.

Shared Services in Focus: Change & Release Management Team

Did you know that CluneTech’s businesses are supported by over ten service teams providing common support functions to all subsidiaries within the organization? Instead of each unit having its own separate team for these functions, the shared services teams handle them collectively to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and standardize processes.

Our Shared or Group Services Teams make running our businesses seamless. A little over eighty people, based solely in Bulgaria and Ireland, come together to make your employee journey effortless by providing services such as IT, HR, finance and payroll, design, marketing, reception, logistics, procurement, recruitment, and facilities.

To help you get familiar with everyone who works in your service, we are launching our Shared Services Teams in Focus series. The first team featured in this series is the IT Change and Release Management Team, which, surprisingly, consists of just one person: our very own Stela Angelova. See what she shared about her role and the teams she works closely with below.
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Hi Stela, to start off, could you tell us how many people work on your team?

I am part of the IT Group Services team, which contains different roles and sub-teams. My role as Change & Release Manager is very interconnected and interdependent with my teammates. There are over 20 teammates in the IT Group Services, who, under the supervision of our CTO, Ivan Dimitrov, are eager to provide the best possible IT support to CluneTech's business needs.

How would you explain the role of the Change and Release Management Team to someone who isn’t familiar with your work?

While meeting business needs, and making sure the risk of disruption of services is minimised, and the impact on the business is reduced, the Change Management manages changes to services, IT infrastructure, and software components.

Communication is the key to success.

I am strongly involved in the communication and cooperation between the teams; and I often communicate with the business in order to keep them informed of the upcoming changes, and/or when they need to take some action from their side prior to the change.

A good schedule cannot happen without a good administration of the change, logging the change in the system, and that way, keeping track and monitoring it.

What education, background, and qualities are important for someone to work in Change and Release Management?

I could describe one educational background. However, that won’t be accurate enough.

The reality is that nowadays it is important for a person to have a variety of skills rather than one specific knowledge. For my role, I need to be constantly in shape with what's new out there. I need to be aware when communicating with my colleagues from the different IT teams. At the same time, I have to be cautious enough to explain what my colleagues do to other people in a not so technical language.

So, it’s like having a personal translator in my pocket all the time.

The C&RM is a combination of technical knowledge, administrative skills, management skills, advocacy, negotiation skills, planning, listening skills, but also is people-oriented, transparent, open, and trustworthy. To have the ability to look at the bigger picture.

Funny enough, according to the Myers-Briggs test, I appear to be an INTJ (Architect).

What is one thing you want people to know or remember about your team?

The IT Group Services is full of very passionate people, eager to provide the best possible services according to the business needs.

As for the CM & RM, whenever you see a message coming from me, pay attention to it. Nowadays, we have the privilege of having all the information in the world at once.

Take advantage of my emails to you and prepare yourselves whenever I notify you of an upcoming change.

What I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up: Dreams vs. Reality

Diana Baias
Client Engagement Executive at Fintua
Cluj-Napoca, Romania

“Growing up, I always dreamed of achieving more – not just for myself, but also to show my family that a different future was possible. I imagined myself working in a modern office with large glass windows, dressed professionally, confident and independent. That vision became a source of motivation and shaped my ambitions from an early age.

Coming from a small village where opportunities were scarce, I was the only one in my class to attend high school and the only one in my extended family to graduate from university.

Today, as a Client Engagement Executive, I’m proud of how far I’ve come and grateful that I get to live a version of the life I once only imagined.”

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Ludwig Hofmeister
Business Development Manager at Benamic
Kilkenny, Ireland

“When I was ten, I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps and become a doctor. However, as I grew older, I realised that I would prefer to work with people when they are at their best rather than when they are at their worst. So I went into hospitality and sailed the world on the Queen Mary 2. From there, it was just a small step back to land to take on a sales role, taking with me my excellent customer service skills. In my spare time, I help out with the Community First Responders in Gorey.”

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Guilherme Zimmermann
Partner Implementation Manager at TransferMate
Kilkenny, Ireland

“My early years were quite typical—filled with school, friends, pets, television, and video games. It wasn’t until I was around 15 that I began to seriously consider a professional career. At the time, I was playing bass guitar in a rock band that started gaining traction, which led me to consider pursuing a Bachelor of Music. However, my interests began to shift after I started reading some of my father’s business magazines and books. This exposure sparked a growing curiosity about the world of business and management.

By the age of 18, I had committed to this new direction and enrolled in a five-year Bachelor's program in Business Administration, alongside a specialization in Entrepreneurship. Since then, I have continued to invest in my education, completing an MBA in Project Management and a Bachelor's degree in Data & Analytics. Currently, I am pursuing a three-year Master's degree in Technology in Financial Services.

Over the past 20 years, I have built a diverse and dynamic career across multiple industries, including Financial Services (FinTech) with TransferMate, Information Technology, E-learning, International Education, Digital Marketing and Social Media, Healthcare, Customer Service, Petrochemicals, Naval Maritime, Shared Services, and Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE).”

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Maria Sanchez
Treasury Supervisor at TransferMate
Manila, Philippines

“When I was a child, I always dreamed of becoming a teacher. I was drawn to the idea of sharing knowledge, inspiring others, and making a difference in people's lives. However, as I grew older and began to consider my future more practically, I decided to pursue a degree in Financial Management Accounting. This path eventually led me to a career in the financial industry, where I've had the opportunity to work with various financial institutions. While it’s far from the classroom I once imagined, the journey has taught me a lot about discipline, problem-solving, and communication—skills I believe I would’ve used as a teacher, too.”

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Zornitsa Bangieva
Multimedia Designer at CluneTech
Varna, Bulgaria

“When I was a bright-eyed kid, I truly believed I could be anything — a singer (despite not being able to sing all that well), a writer, even a dentist! But as time went on, I realized that what I loved most was drawing and creating things with my hands. I began to dream of a future where my job would be something creative — a space where I could use my imagination and passion for the arts every day. Today, I feel incredibly lucky to be working as a multimedia designer.”

Great Place to Work H1 Highlights

Easter Flowers Decoration Workshop in Varna, Bulgaria

BYOB Bowling Party in Kilkenny, Ireland

Romanian Office Anniversary

CluneTech Easter Hunt in Kilkenny, Ireland

Quiz Game in Varna, Bulgaria

Kart Racing Competition & VAT Audit Team Building Event in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Ireland Summer Party. See the full gallery from the event here.

Behind the Finish Line: Meet the Team That Ran Together

CluneTech made a strong showing at this year’s Varna Business Run 2025, with two of our running teams finishing in the top 25 - ranking #8 and #20 out of 79 corporate teams.

Now in our fourth consecutive year at Bulgaria’s biggest corporate relay race, we were proud to see familiar faces return - Yoan Garnevski, Plamen Cvetkov, Martin Marinov, and Zlatomir Vangelov - as well as new teammates join the lineup: Deyan S Dimitrov, Bilyana Nikiforova, Georgi Cholakov, and Plamen Velikov, each contributing outstanding performances.

From left to right: Plamen Cvetkov, Georgi Cholakov, Marin Marinov, Plamen Velikov, Zlatomir Vangelov, Yoan Garnevski, Bilyana Nikiforova, Deyan S. Dimitrov

But what drives our colleagues to lace up their running shoes and compete year after year? We sat down with them to talk about what motivates them, how running impacts their lives, and what it means to represent CluneTech on the track. Read on for their stories and don't miss the full event gallery here. 📸

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Biliyana Nikiforova

VAT Compliance Analyst
Fintua

“I run to feel alive.”

How long have you been running?

Running has always been a part of my life. There have been times when I stopped for one reason or another, but I never gave up. In recent years, I’ve taken it more seriously, training and participating in various races. As I like to say, I run with no brakes. For me, the biggest obstacle is fear — it’s the fine line between success and failure.

What motivates you to keep running?

Running gives me strength. I’m not one of those people who run just for health or to win prizes. I run to feel alive. I run to feel the pulse within me. I run to discover myself and to grow as a person.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

Depending on the run, I take different things with me, but most often I bring a friend, a watch, and some water.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

To be honest, I don’t really think much while I’m running. It’s the time when I clear my mind and enjoy nature. But now that I think about it, there is one thought that never leaves my head while I run — what I’m going to eat afterward.

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Martin Marinov

Tax Office Tracking Specialist
Fintua

“On most of my runs, I often think about how I don’t feel like running 😀.”

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How long have you been running?

I’ve been running since 2022. Before that, I also trained in track and field for several years when I was a student.

What motivates you to keep running?

In the short term, it’s the serotonin rush. In the long term, it’s about building a stronger, more resilient body.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

Just my house keys. I usually run shorter distances—between 4 and 10 kilometers.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

A mix of everyday thoughts, but mostly how much I don’t feel like running. 😀

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Plamen Cvetkov

Junior Application Developer
TransferMate

“I've been running in one form or another my whole life .“

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How long have you been running?

I've been running in one form or another my whole life (mainly football—and occasionally from responsibility 😁). I only took a short 1-2 year break when my son was born. During that time, I switched to 'snacking marathons' and gained a few extra kilos. But I soon realized that it's not a lifelong sport I want to stick with, so I got back into running, added cycling, and even started doing yoga!

What motivates you to keep running?

Running gives me peace, strength, and precious time to listen to a good audiobook — so I’m training both my body and my brain!

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

My running shoes, my phone and headphones, my watch (to pretend I care about pace)… and the hope that I won’t meet a dog that wants to race me!

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

It’s a mix — the story from my audiobook, random life thoughts, and sometimes just ‘don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop’ on repeat.

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Zlatomir Vangelov

Project Manager
TransferMate

“I usually run to clear my head.”

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How long have you been running?

Seriously, probably for about a year now.

What motivates you to keep running?

Running gives you so many benefits that help in every area of life. I won’t list them all, but regular training and pushing yourself definitely lead to big changes. Overall, it just gives me a better quality of life.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

Willpower and water.
And a smile.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

I usually run to clear my head. It’s a great way to get rid of unnecessary thoughts. But after a long run—over 20 kilometers—I mostly think about food, rest, and beer.

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Plamen Velikov

VAT Compliance Analyst
Fintua

“The rush of positive energy I get after each run motivates me to keep doing it.”

How long have you been running?

I used to run only occasionally.

What motivates you to keep running?

The rush of positive energy I get after each run.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

A good mood, of course.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

All kinds of thoughts — sometimes even things like, “What’s the meaning of life?”

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Georgi Cholakov

IT Security Manager
CluneTech

“If I’m in a race, I’m focused on distributing my energy as optimally as possible to achieve the best result I’m capable of.”

How long have you been running?

I’ve been running for a relatively short time – 7 months.

What motivates you to keep running?

A recharge from the stressful everyday life. When your body is struggling for more air and you feel your muscles burning, you stop thinking about all the problems spinning in your head daily.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

Beyond clothes and shoes, the only other thing is my watch – nothing else.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

That largely depends on the type of run I’m doing at the moment. If I’m in a race, I’m focused on distributing my energy as optimally as possible to achieve the best result I’m capable of. If I’m doing a slow recovery run, I try to hold myself back from dashing off at full speed.

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Deyan S Dimitrov

VAT Compliance Analyst
Fintua

“On tough days, I focus on proper breathing and keeping my foot rhythm steady.”

How long have you been running?

2021 was the first year I started including running as part of my training routine.

What motivates you to keep running?

The confidence that I’m in good physical shape.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

Ideally, nothing. The less stuff I carry, the easier it is to run.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

It depends on the intensity of the workout. On tough days, I focus on proper breathing and keeping my foot rhythm steady.

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Yoan Garnevski

Web Developer
TransferMate

“I run to challenge myself.”

How long have you been running?

Since 2014.

What motivates you to keep running?

I run for my health and to challenge myself.

Is there anything you always bring with you on a run?

My phone, keys, and 10 leva.

What kind of thoughts usually run through your mind while you’re running?

“Is this going to end soon?”