aļesja kirčenko
Deputy
Head, SEB Global Services Riga, Chairperson, ABSL Latvia
Aļesja
Kirčenko is an experienced leader in the global business services sector,
currently serving as Deputy Head of SEB Global Services in Riga and Chairperson
of ABSL Latvia. With over a decade of experience in strategic operations,
organizational development, and cross-border collaboration, she plays a pivotal
role in shaping the future of Latvia’s GBS landscape.
Aļesja leads initiatives that drive operational excellence and foster a culture
of innovation. Her leadership has been instrumental in aligning regional
capabilities with global ambitions.
As Chairperson of ABSL Latvia, Aļesja fosters the growth of the business
services community, advocating for stronger partnerships between industry,
government, and academia. Aļesja is a frequent speaker at industry events and a
passionate mentor, known for her ability to connect strategic vision with
practical execution.
Nathan moores
Director of Shared Services for Government, Cabinet Office, UK
Nathan has a long history of
working with the shared services environment, leading transformation programmes
and implementing ERP systems within the Civil Service, including those at
Cabinet Office, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS),
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and UK Space Agency.
Currently Nathan is leading
the UK Shared Services for Government, launched in 2021, which is an
unprecedented cross-government strategy to break down silos and enable
data-driven public services. It has already brought together 18 different
departments and over 100 ALBs into five clusters to replace cyber vulnerable,
legacy IT systems with modern, user friendly, cloud-based systems. Going down
from 286 siloed departmental-based systems to five interoperable ones. The
benefits of delivering the Strategy are estimated at around £4.3 bn over 15
years. Nathan has been in the role of Director for Shared Services since
May 2021.
Prior
to this role, Nathan was Deputy Director of Shared Services at BEIS leading a
£100m transformation programme and Defra Group corporate services.
Robert Giori
Chief
Financial Officer, Atea ASA
Robert Giori joined Atea as Chief Financial Officer in 2014.
He has extensive experience in financial management for public companies within
the IT industry. Prior to joining Atea, Robert spent over five years as Chief
Financial Officer of Nordic Semiconductor ASA. He has also worked as Chief
Financial Officer of TeleComputing ASA and as Finance Director for Dell’s
operations in Norway. In addition, he has previously been a consultant with
McKinsey & Company.
Robert has an MBA from Harvard University and a Bachelor
degree from Stanford University. He has completed the Certified Public
Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA) examinations in the United States.
Evija Celma
Head of Roche Services and Solutions Riga, Member of the Board of ABSL Latvia
Team and process builder with a skillset in digital marketing, strategic planning, and change management. Evija has formerly worked in different roles in private, public and NGO sectors. Before joining Roche, she served 3 years as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Riga. While working in many different capacities, much of her time was dedicated to revamping Riga’s branding, improving public spaces, and acting as a strategist and change enabler. Currently, Evija is not only the site lead of Roche Services & Solutions in Riga, but also the content creation chapter lead in Roche Global Digital Hub and has teams in Budapest, Riga, Kuala Lumpur, Costa Rica and India. She leads by doing — encouraging talented teams and decision-makers to experiment boldly and make positive impactful changes. International mindset. Public purpose. Real impact. Change doesn’t scare her – stagnation does. She has a Boston terrier named Chloe (cute dog). She loves urban gardening, furniture restoration and long walks.
Urmo merila
Deputy
Director General, State Shared Service Centre, Estonia
Urmo Merila is the Deputy Director General at Estonia’s State Shared Service Centre (RTK), where he is responsible of EU Structural Funds and funds management and helps drive the state’s shared-services. RTK consolidates cross-government support services to improve efficiency and service quality. He focus in measurable outcomes, clear SLAs and data-driven performance so that funds are spent compliantly, on time and for maximum impact. At ABSL Latvia Summit 2025, he shares practical lessons on “Public Sector 2.0”: using State GBS and disciplined funds management to unlock efficiency and strategic value.
Juris Tērauds
Co-Founder
& AI Lead, Ideaport Riga
With 25 years of experience implementing CRM solutions, Juris now focuses on redesigning customer business processes and user experiences with the help of Agentic AI.
Kim Leandersson
Consultant
A seasoned GBS and transformation leader with over 20 years of experience driving operational excellence across IT, finance, HR, and customer service. He has led large-scale digital, automation, and shared services transformations in international environments, including roles at Tele2, Telia, and Cognizant.
Zane čulkstēna
Founder, ERDA
Zane Čulkstēna is founder of ERDA and a leading expert on human capital in the Baltics. She created the "Future of Jobs" conference, launched Latvia’s Education Accelerator with the World Economic Forum, and more recently introduced an AI-based career coach for students. She also founded the Baltic Institute for the Future of Work, providing data-driven insights to support workforce adaptability and growth. Zane is a graduate of SSE Riga, the University of Sussex, and Columbia University, where she later returned as a visiting scholar and Fulbright Fellow.
Edvīns Elferts
Guest Lecturer at SSE Riga, Co-Founder of Mitigate AI Services
Edvins is a guest lecturer the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and a co-founder of Mitigate AI Services. He brings over a decade of international experience in consulting and technology development, with a focus on AI, smart automation and software development.
juta kaktiniece
Head of Baltic Legal, SEB
Juta Kaktiniece is the Head of Baltic Legal at SEB, leading legal strategy and governance across the Baltic region. She began her career at SEB Latvia in 2002. In 2011 she assumed the role of Head of the Legal Department at SEB Latvia and in 2023 became Head of Baltic Legal. Juta brings extensive expertise in legal matters, a strong focus on business development, and a collaborative leadership style, supported by many years of experience managing high-performing legal teams. With extensive experience in corporate law and financial regulation, Juta works closely with senior leadership to ensure alignment with international standards and best practices. Her role includes driving legal innovation, fostering collaboration across jurisdictions, and enabling strategic initiatives that strengthen the organization’s regional and global presence.
Beyond her corporate role, Juta has contributed to the development of the financial sector as Co-Chair of the Legal Committee of the Latvian Financial Industry Association. She also has participated in policy-focused working group under the Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance (BICG), promoting best practices in governance and sustainability.
Juta holds an LL.M. in International Maritime Law from the IMO International Maritime Law Institute in Malta (Diploma with Distinction), as well as two degrees in Public Law from the Police Academy of Latvia. Her academic achievements include recognition in the Academy’s Book of Honor. She has further enriched her expertise through international programs on ocean governance, leadership, and sustainability in Malta, Canada, and Switzerland.
Evelīna Lesiņa
HR Manager Baltics, MSC Shared Service Center Riga
HR professional with over 15 years of experience across various areas of human resources, including recruitment, training and development, and HR administration. Evelīna has had the opportunity to work in diverse international environments, supporting both strategic and operational HR initiatives. She is passionate about building strong, people-focused cultures, driving employee engagement, and aligning HR practices with business goals.
Ahmed Badr
Chief Operating Officer, GoCardless
Ahmed
is Chief Operating Officer GoCardless, where he is responsible for all core
operational teams, as well as being functionally responsible for legal, risk
and compliance. GoCardless believes that bank payments are the best way to pay
and get paid, and helps businesses collect both recurring and one-off payments,
without chasing, stress or expensive fees.
Before
joining GoCardless, Ahmed worked for Microsoft, where he supported the
multi-billion pound UK licensing and developer support organisations. Before
this, he was a project finance lawyer at Allen & Overy. In 2015, he became
GoCardless’ first lawyer and has since supported the business in its rapid
expansion across legal, compliance, risk and operations. Ahmed also sponsors
the company’s BEAM (Black, Ethnic and Asian Minority) group, and likes to use
his experience to support young fast growth companies, help shape regulation,
and open up access to legal careers to a wide range of individuals.
Maija opmane
Legal
Manager for Technology and Digital, If P&C Insurance
Maija Opmane is Legal Manager for Technology and Digital at If P&C Insurance, largest Nordic P&C insurance company, where Maija leads legal support for technology-related services and digital transformation across the Nordic and Baltic region. With over two decades of experience in the financial and insurance sectors, she combines strong legal expertise with a practical understanding of emerging technologies. Maija has successfully led lobbying efforts in the insurance industry, including work on the Insurance Distribution Directive and national insurance contract law, and now continues this advocacy as a board member of ABSL Latvia. She also lectures on Tech Law at Riga Graduate School of Law, sharing her insights with future legal professionals.
Pēteris Daliņš
VP Operations and Rīga Office Lead, GoCardless
Pēteris is VP Operations and Rīga Office lead at GoCardless. His operational responsibilities entail running customer support/KYC, financial crime operations (e.g. fraud prevention and AML), payment operations, billing and credit underwriting functions, as well as customer complaints and quality management. Pēteris also leads GC Rīga, our HQ2. In this role he strives to both develop the site to provide increasing value to GC and its customers, and to keep our Riga operations, support and software engineering teams engaged. Prior to GC, Pēteris has an extensive career in senior leadership roles, in both enterprise and technology, in Latvia since 2019 and prior to that, in Australia.
Linda helmane
Head of Investment, Riga Investment and Tourism Agency
Linda Helmane is an investment and policy professional with extensive experience working with foreign investors and developing solutions to complex economic and regulatory challenges. She currently leads investment attraction and environment development initiatives in Riga, driving collaboration between the public sector, businesses, and international partners. With a background in the UK financial sector and leading the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia as well as expertise in strategic reform implementation, Linda is recognized for her ability to align diverse stakeholders and deliver practical, results-oriented outcomes that strengthen competitiveness and sustainable growth.
Sanda reiharde
Psychologist & Organisational Consultant
Sanda Reiharde is a clinical psychologist, organisational consultant, and former Microsoft leader with more than 15 years of international experience developing teams across Europe.
Her career spans driving multi-country business growth at Microsoft and advising executive teams in fast-scaling companies, with a focus on cultural dynamics, communication, and human behaviour in transformation.
Today, Sanda works at the intersection of psychology and business strategy, helping global teams build cultural intelligence and translate human factors into organisational impact. She teaches at Riga Stradiņš University and is completing advanced training in Jungian analytical psychology.
With an MBA and a background in clinical psychology, Sanda brings both strategic and human insight to the challenges global teams face today.
Laura Ērkšķe
Senior Associate, TEGOS
Laura Ērkšķe is a senior associate at TEGOS law firm with more than 17 years of experience in banking, financial regulation, and investment advisory. She advises clients on licensing and compliance matters, cross-border regulatory issues, and investment-related matters.
Svetlana Kocerova
Head of International Office, DNB Riga Branch and Lecturer at University of Latvia
Anita Kalniņa
Deputy Treasury of the State Treasury of Latvia and Head of Digital Transformation
Anita is Deputy Treasury of the State Treasury of Latvia and Head of Digital Transformation.
With more than 15 years of experience at Ernst & Young Baltic and PricewaterhouseCoopers, she has gained extensive cross-industry expertise, advising clients on strategy, IT and process efficiency. She has led a large-scale efficiency and transformation programme at one of the country’s largest state-owned enterprises and is currently overseeing a reform at the State Treasury to centralise the finance and accounting function for more than 170 public sector institutions.
Dorthe harding keilberg
Partner, Technology & Transformation, Deloitte Netherlands
With more than 30 years of experience in strategy and optimization of enabling functions, Dorthe is an experienced advisor for multinationals. Her core competencies are CFO strategy and transformation, shared services and global business services. She has worked internationally and have lived in several European countries.
She is part of the Finance Transformation team in the Netherlands, where she mainly works in the private sector with companies within the Energy, Resources & Industrials sector.
Before starting her career in consultancy, she held various leadership positions in the fields of Finance, HR and IT.
Ieva Skore
Legal Counsel, Tietoevry
Jānis Rozītis
Host of the ABSL Latvia Summit 2025
With over 15 years of extensive experience in the event industry, Jānis Rozītis has established himself as a versatile and reliable event professional, specializing in the organization and management of a wide range of events. His expertise encompasses annual corporate and winter celebrations, social gatherings, seminars, conferences, sports events, and summer festivals, demonstrating his ability to adapt to diverse event formats and target audiences.