Mr. Garkov is a goal-oriented, innovative technology strategist driving large-scale global operations to optimize IT portfolio management and operational efficiency. He has more than 15 years of cross-cultural experience spanning the public and private sectors, complemented by two Master's degrees in the area of information technology and an MBA. From 2007 until taking up the ED post in eu-LISA Mr. Garkov was Operations Director for the Experian Group ltd., a leading global information provider serving the finance industry. He commanded all delivery centre operations and ensured the alignment of technology solutions with business objectives across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Prior to that, Mr. Garkov worked as a Program Manager at Hewlett Packard, a major technology company, where he was responsible for key program initiatives, including a large-scale data centre consolidation and application portfolio consolidation and integration. From 2003 to 2006 he served the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency as a CIO, where he delivered several successful initiatives, including the country-wide implementation of a new core revenue management system and infrastructure. He also led the agency to receive recognition as a first-class ICT organization. In 1996 Mr. Krum joined the Centre for Mass Privatization (Bulgaria), the specialized government agency overseeing the privatization of public assets in Bulgaria. In the Centre, Mr. Krum shared various responsibilities. Initially, he was appointed National Coordination Senior Expert to manage information technology strategy and operations. Within two years, he was named Deputy Director of ICT. About the Agency: eu-LISA, with its seat in Tallinn, fulfills the operational management tasks for the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), Visa Information System (VIS) and EURODAC. The Agency thereby supports the implementation of the EU's border management, asylum and migration policies. The Agency started its operations on 1 December 2012. The headquarters of the Agency is in Tallinn (Estonia), while the operational management of the large-scale systems is carried out in Strasbourg (France) with a backup site in Sankt Johann im Pongau (Austria).