Trust is a word that gets thrown around in every leadership conversation, often without a real definition. Vanessa Ilieva, Project & Program Manager for IBM’s High Availability Center of Competency (HACoC) in Bulgaria, doesn’t let it stay vague. Leading resiliency engagements for IBM’s top 100 global clients, she believes that trust is built on character and competence — both elements must be present, and neither substitutes for the other. 

We spoke with Ilieva about what trust actually looks like day-to-day on a tech team, why she doesn’t think AI or flexible work have changed the fundamentals of building trust, and what makes Bulgaria’s tech talent pool distinct. 

TechTalents Insights: Can you tell us a bit about your role at IBM and the teams you manage? 

Vanessa Ilieva: I’m the Project & Program Manager for the High Availability Center of Competency at IBM. We work with the top 100 clients we have worldwide, performing resiliency engagements for their environments. 

Our approach is to look at the current architecture for service delivery — infrastructure, applications, and processes — and align it with the business requirements for resilient service. Our experts assess where you are and where you need to be to meet the demands of your customers, investors, and regulators. This architectural strategy perspective provides a roadmap of discrete steps to move forward in the next two to five years. 

In my role, I lead the entire engagement lifecycle — from the initial client conversations to identifying business needs, through planning and delivery, and ultimately to post-engagement follow-ups and ongoing support. 

TechTalents Insights: How do you build trust with tech professionals, especially the young ones? 

Vanessa Ilieva: Building trust, regardless of who you’re trying to build it with, requires two essential elements: character and competence. Without both, trust cannot be sustained. 

Character is about demonstrating integrity and genuine intent. People need to believe that you are honest, ethical, and have the right motivation. 

Competence, on the other hand, is reflected in your capabilities and results. It shows that you have the skills, experience, and track record to deliver on your commitments. 

You can be highly knowledgeable and talented, yet still struggle to earn people’s trust if they question your integrity or intentions. Conversely, having the best intentions is not enough if you lack the ability or proven results to inspire confidence. True trust is built when both character and competence are consistently demonstrated. 

TechTalents Insights: What does trust within a tech team actually look like day-to-day? 

Vanessa Ilieva: It means that team members feel safe to be honest, follow through on commitments, raise risks early, admit mistakes, and support each other. It also means having confidence in your colleagues’ skills and ability to execute, so that you can focus on collaboration and innovation rather than second-guessing intentions or capabilities. People become more comfortable when they see you consistently keep your word and deliver on your commitments. 

TechTalents Insights: Do you think trust has to be earned differently by managers today than 10 years ago? Has AI, hybrid/remote work, or anything else changed that? 

Vanessa Ilieva: In a healthy work environment, I don’t think trust itself has fundamentally changed. Trust is still built on the same principles of character and competence. What has changed is the speed at which business and technology evolve, which means leaders need to adapt faster than ever. 

Even 10 years ago, we were working with globally distributed teams, so the real challenge isn’t the location either. 

Success depends on how quickly you can respond to change and whether you have the right people around you to support that journey. After all, driving results is never a one-man show. 

We all have the same 24 hours a day, but how we choose to use them makes the difference. Today, AI can help accelerate many day-to-day tasks and improve productivity, but it cannot replace human judgment, leadership, or accountability. We still need to drive the business, make thoughtful decisions, and be intentional about where we invest our time and energy. And among all priorities, the people we work with should remain at the very top of the list. 

TechTalents Insights: What about cultural differences? Does trust-building look different across countries or cultures? 

Vanessa Ilieva: Trust is universal — integrity, reliability, good intentions, capabilities, and results matter everywhere. 

What does differ across cultures is how trust is expressed. Communication styles also vary — some cultures value directness and transparency, while others place greater emphasis on diplomacy and consensus. 

It requires curiosity, cultural awareness, active listening, and respect for different ways of working. I’ve found that when you consistently keep your commitments, communicate openly, and show respect for local norms, trust can be built regardless of geography or culture. 

At the end of the day, people may show trust differently, but they all want to know the same thing: Can I rely on you, and do you have my best interests in mind? 

TechTalents Insights: What does creating a positive team culture look like in practice for you, and how do you keep people motivated, especially during demanding projects? 

Vanessa Ilieva: Creating a positive work environment doesn’t necessarily mean always being polite or focusing on the bright side. The reality is that we face challenging situations every day. What people truly want is to feel seen, heard, and understood. When things go wrong, it’s often less about offering comforting words and more about being willing to have difficult conversations, asking “What do you need?”, and working together toward a solution. 

When people trust your expertise and have confidence in your ability to navigate challenges, open and honest communication comes much more naturally. That trust creates a sense of psychological safety, and ultimately, that’s what enables a healthy, supportive, and productive work environment. 

TechTalents Insights: What would you say makes the Bulgarian tech workforce unique or particularly strong? 

Vanessa Ilieva: In Bulgaria, adaptability is one of our greatest strengths. We embrace change quickly, are eager to learn, and have natural curiosity for developing new skills. 

Over the past 15 years, the growth of the outsourcing and business services sector has attracted significant investment in the region. As a result, Bulgaria has evolved far beyond being simply an extension of global organizations. Today, it is a mature market that offers deep expertise and a strong pipeline of talented young professionals graduating from technical universities and international academic programs. 

At the same time, competition for this talent is increasing. Young people are becoming more proactive in seeking opportunities to gain practical experience while still pursuing their education. IBM actively supports this through dedicated student and early-career programs. I have had the privilege of working closely with and mentoring students who demonstrated remarkable potential and already possessed highly applicable skills. It has been especially rewarding to see some of them remain with the company and go on to build successful and fulfilling careers.

TechTalents Insights: If you could give one piece of advice to a tech manager about building trust with their team, what would it be? 

Vanessa Ilieva: Be curious. Invest in people. And above all, never forget what it felt like to be in their place. 

As we grow in experience, seniority, or responsibility, it’s easy to lose sight of the challenges, uncertainties, and learning curves that once shaped our own journey. We tend to forget the questions we were afraid to ask, the mistakes we made, and the support we needed along the way. 

The best leaders and colleagues stay curious about others, take the time to understand their perspectives, and intentionally invest in their growth. Empathy is not just about understanding where someone is today; it’s about remembering where you once were yourself. 

When we approach people with patience, curiosity, and humility, we create an environment where they can learn, contribute, and thrive. Because everyone is carrying a story, and often the most valuable thing we can offer is the understanding we once needed ourselves. 

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