Yana Djoneva is Chief Operating Officer and a member of the ESM's Management Board. She is responsible for the Business Strategy and Project Management division, as well as the Information Technology and Facilities Management division.

Yana joined the ESM at its inception and since 2013 has played a key role in ESM’s institutional development. As a team lead and later Deputy Head of the Corporate Governance and Internal Policies division, she developed many of ESM's internal policies, procedures, and operational frameworks while actively engaging with ESM internal and external stakeholders and peer institutions. She also played a role in ensuring the ESM business continuity and safety of staff during the Covid pandemic. Most recently, Yana served as Senior Advisor to the Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to joining the ESM, Yana worked for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Coca-Cola HBC, among other institutions, garnering international experience across corporate governance, project finance, risk management, and internal audit.

Yana holds a Master of Business Administration from London Business School, a Master’s degree in European Law from Université de Lorraine, and a law degree from Sofia University.