A new Executive Board of Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia (FICIL) has been elected in organization’s annual general meeting which took place on February 20. For the first time to the FICIL Executive Board was elected Gunta Jēkabsone, Vice President of Circle K, Ingrīda Kariņa-Bērziņa, Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce, and Māris Gruzniņš, Board Member at CEMEX. Baiba Zūzena, Chairperson of the Board at “All Media Baltics”, was re-elected to the Board.
Four board members will continue their work in the Board – Alf Erik Lundgrenn, Chairman of the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Latvia, Ints Krasts, member of the Board at SEB Bank, Julia Sundberg, member of the Board at Fortum, as well as Zlata Elksniņa-Zaščirinska, Chairperson of the Board and Leading partner at PwC Latvia.
The FICIL Executive Board is elected for two years and its main responsibility is to represent the interests of more than 50 corporate and associate members in Latvia. The first Executive Board meeting will be held on March 7, which will also include preparations for the annual High Council meeting to be held on June 6 and 7.
Marta Jaksona, FICIL Executive Director: “This year we will lead active work representing the interests of FICIL members – the biggest foreign investors in Latvia. We will continue a constructive and open dialogue with policy makers to improve the investment climate in Latvia. At the top of my agenda still is the concern of foreign investors about the high level of corruption and the economic crimes in Latvia; this is an area where we expect efficient, structured and timely actions from law enforcement agencies. In parallel, we will work on specific suggestions to improve Latvia’s attractiveness for existing and potential investors, for example, to facilitate the attraction of foreign labour force, modernise and digitalise public services, and continue reforms in higher education.”
Māris Gruzniņš
Māris Gruzniņš is a Board Member and Commercial Director of CEMEX Latvia and a board member of EMBRA OY, responsible for CEMEX sales office. Since April 1, 2017 Māris has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Board of Association of Producers of Building Materials.
Māris joined CEMEX in 2005 as a Head in Maintenance Department. For two years until 2016 he was a General Director of CEMEX Baltic Cement (in St.Petersburg, Russia). Māris Gruzniņš holds a Master’s degree in Science and Engineering (MSA) and an MBA. In 2016 he gained Professional Board Member Education in the Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance.
Māris has broadened his knowledge in management, global selling, I2 model, etc. in various courses, seminars in USA, France, Mexico, Denmark and Poland.
Since November 2017 Māris Gruzniņš has undertaken FICIL Board Member responsibilities.
Gunta Jēkabsone
Gunta Jekabsone is Vice President of Circle K Latvia since 2015. Gunta joined Circle K Latvia (former Statoil) in 1996. For 7 years until 2015 Gunta was holding Finance Director position.
Mrs Jēkabsone has graduated as a Lawyer from The University of Latvia, has a Master of Business Administration degree at Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration.
She has broadened her knowledge in management in various courses, seminars in USA, UK and Europe.
Ingrīda Kariņa-Bērziņa
Ingrīda is Partner and Head of the Intellectual Property and IT Practice Group at COBALT, a pan-Baltic law firm founded in 1994 with offices in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus. Alongside her legal practice she is a longtime course leader and lecturer at the Riga Graduate School of Law and the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
Ingrīda is Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia with responsibility for advocacy, which includes cooperation with FICIL. At FICIL itself, she heads the Intellectual Property Working Group.
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Ingrīda obtained her B.A. from Yale University, a M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Sworn Advocate in Latvia, an Attorney at Law (Pennsylvania and New Jersey), and a licensed Latvian and European trademark and design attorney.
Baiba Zūzena
Baiba Zūzena is CEO at All Media Baltics. Started her carrier in advertising business, the last 14 years she has been with MTG TV Latvia holding various positions, from 2007 being CEO.
Mrs Zūzena has extensive knowledge within media industry, through the Latvian Broadcasters Association and Latvian Advertisers Association she is involved in business regulatory legislation improvements for Latvia’s media and advertising industry.
Mrs Zūzena has graduated as a Psychologist from The University of Latvia, has a Master of Business Administration degree at Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration. She has served on the FICIL Board since 2016.