Maxim Behar

Maxim Behar (Bulgarian: Максим Бехар; Hebrew: מקסים בכר) is a Bulgarian businessman of Jewish descent.^[1] He is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of M3 Communications Group, Inc, a public relations and public affairs company, and a Hill+Knowlton Strategies partner since 2000. Behar is also president of the International Communications Consultancy Organization,^[2] board member of PR Museum in New York,^[3] and a frequent speaker^[4] at national and international events. He is also Chairman of the Board of World Communications Forum in Davos.^[5]

Maxim Behar
Born	(1955-12-10) December 10, 1955 (age 69) Shumen, Bulgaria
Nationality	Bulgarian
Occupation(s)	PR expert, diplomat, journalist

Life and career

Journalism

• 1985-1989: Correspondent of Rabotnichesko delo daily in Shumen, Bulgaria.^[6]
• 1989-1991: Correspondent of Rabotnichesko delo daily in Warsaw, Poland.
• 1992-1995: Co-founder of the Standard Daily,^[7] one of the first private daily newspapers in Bulgaria, where he was the Managing Editor.

Businesses

• 1994: Founded M3 Communications Group, Inc.^[8]
• 2003: Co-founder and shareholder, with former Nevada Governor Bob Miller, of a Bulgarian-American consultancy company Miller & Behar Strategies.^[9]
• 2003: Founder and Chairman of the Board of M3 Communications College,^[10] the first and the only fully licensed college in Bulgaria of Public communication studies, now associated with the Manhattan Institute of Management^[11] in New York.

Education

• 1983: Graduated international economic relations at the Prague Economic University.
• 1999: Graduated the Full Corporate Program of Japanese Style of Management, AOTS,^[12] Yokohama Kenshu Center, Japan.
• 2011: Executive Management Training at the Pacific Institute by Lou Tice in Seattle, WA

Executive positions and organizational memberships

• 1997-2000: Board member and Executive Director for the Bulgarian Investment Forum.
• 1999-2012: Member of the Boards of Junior Achievement Bulgaria.^[13]
• 1999-current: Full member of the International Public Relations Association.
• 2001-2007: President of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum.^[14][15]
• 2002-current: Founder and Chairman of the Bulgarian-Polish Business Club.
• 2002-current: Founding member of the Board of Trustees of Every Child Foundation.^[16]
• 2003-2011: Member of the Central Israelite Spiritual Council in Bulgaria.^[1]
• 2005-current: Full member of the Public Relations Society of America^[17]
• 2005-current: Vice-President of the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria.^[18]
• 2012-current: Chairman at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Czech Republic.^[19]

Diplomatic service

• 2004: Appointed as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Seychelles to Bulgaria.^[20]

Awards and recognition

• 2005: Honorary citizen of Shumen.^[21]
• 2012: The Bulgarian monthly Economy magazine^[22] presented its yearly award to Maxim Behar for achievements in Business Communications.
• 2012: Named "Manager of the year" in an independent online vote by the Bulgarian Manager magazine and TV Channel bTV.^[23]
• 2012: The Association of Business Communications of India announced Behar as "Communicator of the Decade".^[24]
• 2015: The Gold Stevie Award.^[25]