Annual General Meeting 2023

Thursday, March 30, 2023 - 09:30

Please see below 2023 Board Candidate details and links to Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) Documents including "Combined Proxy and Voting Form".

The 2023 Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of the British Chamber of Commerce in Latvia ("BritCham") will be held on 30 March at the KPMG Latvia office, Roberta Hirša iela 1, Rīga commencing at 09:30 (coffee available from 09:00).

Please do come, listen to the Board Candidates and cast your vote thereby ensuring that you have a say in who seeks to guide our BritCham development over the next years! Registration for the event is mandatory and is available here.

If you cannot attend the event, please complete "Combined Proxy and Voting Form" and either scan and e-mail the completed form to info@britcham.lv or deliver it to the BritCham office before 17:00 Latvian time on 27 March 2023.

Registration

Admission: Complimentary (BritCham Members Only).
Date/ time: 30 March 2023, 9:30
Venue: KPMG Latvia office, business centre VERDE, Roberta Hirša iela 1, Rīga
Registration: Online sign-up, e-mail events@britcham.lv or call +371 25 45 6000

If you can not attend the event, please complete "Combined Proxy and Voting Form" and either scan and e-mail the completed form to info@britcham.lv or deliver it to the BritCham office before 17:00 Latvian time on 27 March 2023.

Annual General Meeting 2023 Documents

AGM Documents for the Members of BritCham:

All documents are available here.

  1. Notice to Members
  2. Notes to Attendees
  3. "Combined Proxy and Voting Form"

 

Board Candidates 2023

Ms Justīne Ignatavičute

Current role:
- Senior Associate at Eversheds Sutherland Bitāns law office
Qualifications:
- Assistant attorney at law (Latvian Bar Association)
Education:
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from University of Kent
- Master of Laws (LLM) in International Banking and Finance Law from University College London (UCL)

Which parts of your experience would best benefit BritCham and in which way?

I have developed a close link to the UK with my educational background as well as my experience while working as a tennis coach and charity / sports events organizer both in the UK and Riga. I would be happy to participate in BritCham charity initiatives and provide my support in event organization to facilitate networking opportunities and attract new members to the Chamber. I would also like to offer my experience gained in professional work with international and UK clients and bring new ideas, enthusiasm and energy to BritCham.


Special message to BritCham members:

BritCham is an amazing platform with great traditions and community. Myself and Eversheds Sutherland Bitāns team would be glad to engage in BritCham activities not only as a member but also as part of the board team.

Mr Gordon Latimir

I am a 64 year old British national who has lived in Latvia since 1995. I was a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers Central and Eastern Europe for 25 years and worked full-time in Latvia (8 years) Slovakia (2 years ) and Russia (14 years ). For the last 4 years I have been semi-retired but continue to do some consulting work (2-3 days per week) for PwC CEE ( based full-time now in Latvia).

Dates when you were on the BritCham Board:
2021 - 2023 and previously I was on the original BritCham Board back in the late1990’s.

What was your role (roles) on the BritCham Board and what you have achieved?

Over the last 2 years on the Board I have represented BritCham on the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia at both High council annual meetings and the “Shadow Economy Combatting” working group.

I helped with others to organise and support before and on the night our flagship event Burns’ Supper (the first time post pandemic). I have also taken the lead for assisting with finance matters between our executive team and our external accountant to ensure we have clear reporting to our Board each month. I also represent BritCham on the International British Chambers monthly meetings ( calls). I have attended all BritCham Board Meetings over the last 2 years except one and attended practically all our events for our Members over the last 2 years.

Special message to BritCham members:

Whilst I worked for PwC who have been a Platinum member of BritCham for very many years, I stand as and have an individual membership of BritCham.

 

Ms Aija Héloïse Pince

I am a Life member of Daugavas Vanagi and founding member of the Latvian Government in Exile (London) 1978. I entered the advertising industry in London in 1979 to the end of the 1980s with a brief spell in Bahrain. In the late 80's I took up commercial photography and in 1988 relocated to Kuwait to work as a photojournalist in the Kuwait media and subsequently Creative Director of Samra magazine, I was freelance up to 1998 when I joined the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, the al-Sabah collection of Islamic Art as a graphics consultant and Creative Director. I have also worked with the Occupation Museum of Latvia. With the exception of the period 2008 - early 2011 when I worked in Dubai and Oman before my British Embassy in Kuwait post as 50/20 (Independence/Liberation) project manager. I continued to work at the collection expanding their now two cultural centres, hosting lectures on art, concerts and other international cultural activities as well as English language editing until my retirement from Kuwait in October 2019.

Currently I am founder of SIA Rīgas Porcelāns and a director of the Ice Hockey Academy, a patron of Royal Worcester Porcelain Museum and Latvian National Opera and Ballet. I serve on several ICOM (International Council of Museums) committees. A member of EXARC and the International Women’s Club of Rīga.

Which parts of your experience would best benefit BritCham and in which way?

I am Charity committee member, sponsor and Corporate member of BritCham through SIA Rīgas Porcelāns.

Special message to BritCham members:

My promise to members is to be a sounding board to actively promote their interests. Also, I hope to stimulate Latvian manufactured porcelain between the UK and Latvia, despite the complexities of Brexit and its implications. I also hope to promote trade delegations between UK and Latvia.

Mr Robin Poynder

I am a Brit with over 40 years involved in the OTC financial markets, as a trader, business manager, head of regulation and latterly as a consultant. I have previously taken a number of voluntary roles with the aim of supporting associations or charities in the past and feel my focus on strategy, process and change may be of use to the Chamber.

Which parts of your experience would best benefit BritCham and in which way?

Having recently transitioned to a lower consultancy commitment I have some time to devote to ‘giving back’ and am motivated to help local businesses in Latvija develop their potential, with the support of British experience. Following a career managing both parts of large-scale business (e.g. HSBC, Thomson Reuters) and small scale start-ups in which I have been involved, I feel my focus on strategy, process and change may be of use.

Special message to BritCham members:

I am a full time resident in Latvija now and I would look forward to representing your interests if elected.

Mr Kalbinder Singh Srai

Born May 9, 1965 in Birmingham, UK
1977- 1982 Smethwick Hall boy's School
1982- 1983 West park College
1983-1991 Quality control apprenticeship at Concentric Plc
1991 Started own retailing business
1996 Sold retailing business and bought BMW dealership
2001 Sold BMW dealership and got into telecoms
2004 Sold telecom business
2004 Invested as a major shareholder in first private call centre in Latvia
2004 Bought Logistics business in Stafford, UK (now distributing 500 000 units of big ticket electrical appliances to the consumer on behalf of major manufacturers)
2013 Setting up the brand "Singh's" in the restaurant trade, aiming to have 25 restaurants in Eastern Europe in the next 5 years

Dates when you were on the BritCham Board:
2019 - 2023

What was your role (roles) on the BritCham Board and what you have achieved?

I was involved in promoting British business and playing an active role in connecting businesses.
I was keen in increasing the awareness of the chamber, developing a strategy to increase its exposure to different communities and sharing my passion for cross border working.

Special message to BritCham members:

To attract new Membership, promote British business and to be active in the charity work taken by the chamber.
I will at all times act with integrity, bring my passion for business and network to the chamber and look to always put members interests first.

Ms Jana Smirnova

Work experience:
PricewaterhouseCoopers SIA
Assurance director
Member of the Board

Qualifications:
Latvian Certified Auditor
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
Fellow of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA)

Education: Batchelor of Science (Economics and Business)
Stockholm School of Economics in Riga

Which parts of your experience would best benefit BritCham and in which way?

We are currently going through time of turbulence, when we need consistently need to quickly adjust to changing environment (geopolitical situation, new regulatory factors and various other factors falling outside of our control).

Becoming a member of the Board will allow me to offer how I may ensure that the following is achieved:

  • Maintaining regular dialog with members of the BritCham will allow to better understand hot topics, which are on the agenda, and by doing this to raise concerns with governmental institutions to support members in resolving some issues;
  • Share experience and best practices in respect of the topics of the highest interest (e.g. AML, monitoring of sanctions, ESG)

Special message to BritCham members:

The Latvian proverb says - "Shared joy - double joy, shared sorrow - half sorrow." Let's share and double joy moments!

Agenda

The AGM 2023 will commence at 09:30 for the purposes of passing the following resolutions:

  1. To appoint a chairman and secretary of the AGM;
  2. To appoint two (2) Adjudicators to verify both the quorum of and the voting result at the AGM;
  3. Reports for the year 2022;
  4. To adopt the Finance Report for the year ended 31 December 2022:
  5. To elect a new Board of BritCham for the year 2023-24 having regard to the following matters:
    • Announcement of Board Members stepping down;
    • Announcement of Board Members standing for election to the Board for 2023-25;
    • Election of four Board Members and two Board Member Candidates following presentations by all candidates;
    • Vote count;
    • Announcement of the result of the election;
  6. Appointment of the person confirming the truthfulness of the minutes of the AGM;
  7. Appointment and authorisation of a person or persons who will lodge the notices of Board changes and other necessary documentation emanating from the AGM with the Register of Associations and Foundations;
  8. Any other business.

*If you can not attend the event, please complete "Combined Proxy and Voting Form" and either scan and e-mail the completed form to info@britcham.lv or deliver it to the BritCham office before 17:00 Latvian time on 27 March 2023.