Katerina Boncheva

Katerina Boncheva is a Lecturer in International Business at the Department of Management, in the IB Unite. She holds a PhD in International Marketing and Strategy from Cardiff University, UK, and is an alumna of the Academy of International Business (AIB)-CIBER Doctoral Academy, where she now serves as the first President of its Alumni Network. Her research lies at the intersection of international marketing, strategy, and international business, currently focusing on the strategic contradictions that shape firms’ internationalisation decisions, with particular emphasis on how firms navigate evolving global market disruptions. Her work has been published in International Marketing Review, Critical Perspectives on International Business, and AIB Insights, and is regularly presented at leading international IB and International Marketing conferences. Beyond academia, she consults on internationalisation strategies and mentors emerging Macedonian SMEs through the Macedonia 2025 Initiative, bringing her academic expertise together with her prior corporate and non-governmental work experience to her advisory roles.

Originally from the small, sunny town of Strumica, North Macedonia, Katerina has lived and worked in several countries and is now looking forward to making Helsinki her new home. Outside academia, she enjoys spending time in nature, a passion that began with childhood walks in the hills around her hometown and continued during her years in Wales, discovering new places and cultures around the world, as well as bringing friends and family together over dinner, games, and good conversation.