Dubai, UAE | October 22, 2026 — Alexander Tzonev, a technology executive and entrepreneur with nearly three decades of experience in software engineering, enterprise technology, and business leadership, has been honored with the Excellence in AI & Technology Industry Leaders – Technology Strategy & Innovation Leadership award at the AINext Awards & Conference Dubai 2026. The recognition celebrates his contributions to technology strategy, engineering leadership, enterprise innovation, and the advancement of AI-enabled software development.
Tzonev currently serves as Chief Technology Officer at ANDRA, where he is working to bring regulated securities into decentralized finance while integrating agentic artificial intelligence into software development. His work reflects the growing convergence of financial technology, intelligent automation, and modern software engineering.
In addition to his role at ANDRA, Tzonev serves as Vice President of Technology at Vaerolabs. There, he established TecHub Sofia, one of the two technology hubs at the core of Lufthansa Technik’s digitalization program. This initiative demonstrates his experience in building engineering capabilities and supporting large-scale technology transformation.
Previously, Tzonev held a leadership role at Google, where he led the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Control Plane Framework organization and helped define the operating model for Google Cloud’s sovereign cloud offering. His work in cloud infrastructure and platform engineering highlights his expertise in developing technology capabilities for complex enterprise environments.
Before joining Google, Tzonev spent five years leading Cisco’s research and development center in Bulgaria. During this period, he helped bring agile methodologies to large-scale product development, including products such as WebEx. His experience reflects a sustained focus on engineering excellence, effective product delivery, and organizational innovation.
Tzonev’s entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding Intracol Technologies, where he served as CEO and built a business trusted by Fortune 500 clients. The company was subsequently acquired by BULPROS, where he went on to serve as Group Chief Technology Officer. He is also Co-Founder and CTO of IRZ Solutions, the company behind the DigiNovo customer experience platform.
Across his career, Tzonev has combined technical expertise with strategic leadership, helping build software products, establish engineering organizations, and guide businesses through technological change. His experience across global technology companies and entrepreneurial ventures gives him a broad perspective on how technology strategy can translate into practical business outcomes.
The AINext Awards & Conference Dubai 2026 brings together technology leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators to recognize achievements in artificial intelligence and explore the technologies shaping the future of business.
The award recognizes Alexander Tzonev’s leadership in technology strategy and innovation, highlighting a career that spans cloud computing, enterprise software, engineering transformation, and emerging applications of agentic AI. His professional journey demonstrates the importance of combining a clear technology vision with effective execution to advance innovation across organizations.