Latvian Post board replaced ahead of market liberalisation
Latvian ministers have dismissed the board at Latvian Post, appointing a new three-person panel in its place to lead preparations as the country’s postal market is opened to competition. With a little under a year before Latvia is due to liberalise its postal market, in compliance with EU postal law, the Ministry of Transport dismissed chairman Aigars Vitols and board members Ilze Aleksandrovica, Ivo Lecis and Andrejs Vicups.
In their place, Latvia Post employee Māris Kleinbergs has been appointed chairman of the new board, with Arnis Salnājs and Egons Strazdiņš as two other board members.
Outlining the changes, a statement from Latvian Post said its new chairman had an extensive background in business management, marketing and logistics, and had been working at the Post since 2006, running the shipment processing and delivery department including responsibility for mail sorting and transportation.
A graduate of the Riga Technical University and Latvian University, before joining Latvian Post, Kleinbergs had industry roles including directorships at logistics firm Baltic Logistic Solutions and German wholesaler Ro-Exim, as well as time at Kuehne + Nagel heading up its Latvian office.
The two other new members of the Latvian board come with experience from the banking and legal sectors.
Salnājs, a Latvian University graduate, is currently studying for a Masters in construction law at London’s Kings College University, has worked in several law firms including Sorainen and Alfenus. Strazdiņš, also a Latvian University graduate with an MBA from the Riga Business Institute of Economics, was previously in the currency division of regional bank Swedbank Latvia.
Liberalisation
Outlining the new appointments today, Latvian Post said: “The main tasks of the new Latvian Post board will be associated with the company’s preparation of the operation of the free postal market and opening to competition under the relevant EU directive, which will be in force in the Republic from 2013.”
The Post said from next year, it would no longer be able to protect its services from competition, while also meeting minimum requirements for the universal service, including continuation of its five-day-per-week delivery services.
Wholly owned by the state, Latvian Post currently employs around 4,600 staff at more than 600 sites.
