Juris Kanels, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SJSC Riga International Airport, categorically denies the distorted information spread in the public space and false interpretation of the selection process of the Airport Board. Kanels stresses that the candidates nominated for the post of Chairman of the Board and Members of the Board have been selected according to the objectively set requirements of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), taking into account candidates' professionalism, competence and experience.
As reported before, based on the results of an open competition, the Supervisory Board nominated Armands Jurjevs for the post of Riga Airport Chairman of the Board, and Ilona Līce, Lauma Jenča and Irina Feļdmane as Members of the Board. The shareholder is still to approve the candidates.
Juris Kanels, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, emphasises that there is no cause for concern as to professionalism, reputation or eligibility of the Board currently nominated for approval. Kanels denies any political influence or influence of other publicly suggested factors on the decision.
"OECD requirements were strictly followed in the course of the Board selection process. We set up a nomination committee, which in line with the established rules of the competition assessed all candidates according to uniform, comparable criteria. Armands Jurjevs acquired the highest score, which objectively confirms his competence to manage the company," says Kanels.
Kanels also highly values the previous international experience of Jurjevs and his knowledge of the business. In the selection process, Jurjevs presented to the nomination committee a competent and professional vision of the development prospects of the company and the tasks to be done for the provision and improvement of Airport operations.
As pointed out by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Mr. Jurjevs has more than 20 years of experience in the international business environment. He gained his initial international experience working as the Director of the United States Fund International Executive Service Corps. He has also worked as the Head of IBM Latvian Office and taken the post of the Director of companies Interinfo Latvja Ltd. and Baltic Delfi Internet Search Ltd. belonging to Telenor Media Group. Jurjevs has worked as Telenor Media Group project manager in Moscow, managing consolidation of two companies belonging to the Group. Altogether, the company employed about 400 persons. He has also held the business development manager position in Norway-based company Telenor Media Holding. In this company, Jurjevs developed the business strategy, and introduced it in seven companies of the Group operating in the Baltic States, Eastern Europe and the CIS.
Jurjevs has also been involved in various community organisations with active international cooperation. He has worked as a Member of the Board of the Latvian Deposit Guarantee Fund, a Member of the Board of the Latvian National Library Foundation, and the President of Riga Rīdzene Rotary Club. Currently Mr. Jurjevs is a Member of the Latvian Economic Development Forum and Member of the Board of the Latvian Business Angel Network.