Ecr Baltic / Confirmed speakers

Confirmed speakers

Confirmed speakers:

Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor has spent the last two decades of his life supporting organisations in the creation of successful and sustainable strategies. He has achieved this by developing their teams to meet the challenges of ever increasing global competition. Working with multi billion dollar clients, from Asia to the US and from Russia to the Middle East, his honest and incisive style creates challenging but rewarding environments in which to learn.

He has held positions up to and including board level. With an unusual background in Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing plus Retail Buying and Merchandising, it gives him a unique perspective which can help teams develop a defensible competitive edge. He has managed businesses with turnovers in excess of $350 million and in the last decade has helped put over $1 billion on the bottom line of global manufacturers.

Mark has previously developed and delivered leadership, strategy, sales, negotiation, and commercial excellence events for Pfizer, Nestle, Expedia, General Mills, JTI and many other multi billion dollar operations. Some events achieve an ROI of over 3000% PA. His critically acclaimed books have been used as a template of success for new breeds of commercial enterprises which are competing in a digital world.

* * *

Ken Hughes - Leading Consumer, Shopper Behaviouralist, Playologist & Keynote Speaker
As Europe’s leading Consumer and Shopper Behaviouralist, Ken Hughes blends his vast expertise in consumer psychology, social anthropology, behavioural economics and neuromarketing to answer the question to which he has dedicated most of his career: Why do shoppers buy and how can we make them buy more?

While his boutique consumer insight organisation, Glacier Consulting, began life as a market research agency, he soon identified his key area of interest was people, not markets. How humans express their desires and expectations through how and what we buy has become his sole focus, resulting in his agency advising a global client base of some of the world’s biggest brands – Unilever, 3M, IKEA, Coca-Cola, AXA and Heineken to name a few.

Ken is acknowledged as one of the most respected thought leaders on Shopper Marketing and Shopper Centricity, Omnichannel & Digital Strategy alongside Retail Futurology. He is a part-time professor in consumer behaviour and a board member & strategic advisor to many organisations on the future of consumerism and shopper trends.

His latest TED talk also showcases his unique approach as a Playologist, motivating individuals and his corporate clients to unleash their creativity and innovation through a blend of discovery, fun, play, mischief and risk.

Voted best speaker at most conferences he has the honour of being invited to attend, it is for his international career as a keynote speaker he is most famous.

His keynote speeches deliver thought disrupting and inspiring content in a captivating and highly energetic manner, all served with a generous helping of Irish wit.

* * *

Daniels Pavļuts Mr. Daniels Pavluts, ECR Baltic Forum 2015 moderated and keynote by international economic development consultant, former Minister of Economics of Latvia, Mr. Daniels Pavluts.

Linkedin: lv.linkedin.com/in/danielspavluts

* * *

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada in Latvia H.E. Dr. Alain Hausser (LL.L, Université de Montréal, 1979; Maîtrise [European Law] Université de Paris II, 1981; Diplôme d’études approfondies, Université de Paris II, 1982) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1988 after a few years as a teaching assistant in international law at the University of Regensburg (Germany). He has served abroad as third and later second secretary at Canada’s embassy in Tel Aviv; first secretary at the embassy in Bonn; counsellor (political) at the embassy in Berlin; counsellor (political) at the embassy in Brussels; deputy permanent observer at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg; and, from 2010 to 2014, deputy head of the Mission of Canada to the European Union in Brussels and permanent observer at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In Ottawa, he has held a number of positions, including counsellor at the Privy Council Office, director of the Western Europe Division and director of the European Union Division (2007 to 2010) at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada headquarters. Alain Hausser was most recently head of the political section at the Embassy of Canada to the Netherlands. He is married to Mr. Zvi Golany. Mr. Hausser replaces John Morrison.

* * *

Gundega Gundega Martinsone. Currently work as Retail Business Development Director for Rimi Baltic. Responsible for finding and developing new business opportunities for Rimi and better services for Rimi customers. Main focus areas are: CRM, branding, and new technologies and services, as well as managing Rimi Baltic’s large investment project portfolio.
After 15 years’ experience in banking and only 2 years in food retail, has already become a fanatic about this industry. Believes that food retailers can make a difference in improving the everyday lives of our customers and change the world for the better.

* * *

Edite Strarzina

Edīte Strazdiņa, CEO Musmāju Dārzeņi, Latvian Agriculture cooperatives Association, ECR Baltic Board

Linkedin: Musmāju Dārzeņi KS/ MD vegetables cooperative CEO
ECR Baltic, Musmaju Darzeni, Galini farm

* * *

Konrad Kowalik Konrad Kowalik, 39 years old, nationality: Polish
Extensive business experience working for FMCG leaders: Gillette, P&G and Danone. Keeping various positions in sales & marketing

2013+ Country Manager Baltics Board Member Danone Poland
2008-2013 National KA Manager HM/SM Head of Shopper Mkt & CATMAN
2006-2008 Brand Manager, Gillette & Old Spice
1998-2006 Central Europe East Business Manager, Trade Mkt Manager Gillette, Trade Mkt Manager Duracell

* * *

Iwona Techmanska, Category Development Manager, Danone Polska

* * *

Dr. Sc. Ing. Oksana Soshko Dr. Sc. Ing. Oksana Soshko, RIMI Baltic, Forecast & Replenishment process owner

Linkedin: My professional background is related to the Information Technology, with particular focus on application of modelling and simulation approaches to social technical systems management. My academic responsibilities, along with participation in various international projects, conduce to applying my skills to solving wide scope of problems, including logistics and supply chain management.

Forecasting and Replenishment by RIMI Baltic and SAP
•    Business needs identification for the automatic forecast and replenishment
•    F&R functionality and benefits
•    Creating value for Supply Chain

* * *

Mika Ylinen is currently working as development manager at Prisma Peremarket Estonia. Among other, he has been responsible for several retail-manufacturer cooperation projects during last years. Mika has over 25 years of experience from retail sector through several functions in different retail chains in Finland and Estonia. His main tasks during past years has been developing data based IT-tools to support decision making and category management work.

As well managing and developing internal and long business processes among retailing is familiar for him. Now enthusiastic to direct also Estonian retail industry to more collaborative and customer orientated thinking.

* * *

Neils Balgalis, Managing Director, Grupa93

Managing director of a leading Latvian planning consultancy firm „Grupa93” Ltd. since 1994. An urban development expert with extensive work experience on large scale development projects in Latvia (Rail Baltica, Andrejsala, Zakusala, New Hanza City, Mezaparks, Skanste) and European countries. Specialist on public involvement activities with outstanding moderation skills (leading of more than 700 workshops, discussions, conferences and working groups over last 21 year) neils@grupa93.lv www.grupa93.lv https://twitter.com/neilsbalgalis https://www.facebook.com/neils.balgalis

RailBaltica – new opportunities for supply chains in Baltics

•    Main characteristics of RailBaltica project – ongoing activities in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania (2015-2016)
•    Planned time schedule and activities - 2030
•    Cargo and passenger terminals - planned locations in Latvia, layout and operational plans
•    RailBaltica as supply chain game changer in Baltics for road-rail

* * *

Hele Hammer, Chair of Supply Chain Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology (TUT). Hele is also CEO of Telema, the largest EDI operator in the Baltics. Hele has been a renown lecturer at the Estonian Business School since 1997 and Tallinn University of Technology since 2012. In 2003, Hele got her PhD in Economics from TUT. Lately, she has focused on teaching graduate students and executives using the case method, her interest areas include supply chain management and business intelligence. In 2012-2015 she helped to create and execute the Supply Chain Management masters program at TUT, one of a kind in the Baltic States. Since 2013, Hele is involved in ECR Europe supply chain best practices workgroup, the first result of which is the VMI Implementation Best Practice Guide published in 2015.

* * *

Indrek Lepik, Head of sales and purchases department in Coomor Kaubandus OÜ. Wholesales expert who have over 20 years’ experience. Started as salesman in 1994 and step by step developed himself and together with it developed his career. He has been responsible about sales development in different countries and different companies. From companies we can mention Wrigley’s, SCA Hygiene Products, Jungent, Lumene, Horizon Tissue from areas Baltic States, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belorussia, Poland etc. Through all these years his main challenges was to work out and develop best and most efficient sales set up to different products in different countries. With strong focus to stock management and cost effective sales set up, starting from production planning in put up to end users purchases.

* * *

Una Petrauska, Attorney at Law, Head of KPMG Law Firm (Latvia)
Una started her legal practice in state sector in 1996 in Ministry of Justice, state joint stock company “Valsts Robežbūve. As from 1999 Una has worked as a legal advisor in a law office. Una became a member of Bar Association of Latvia in 2003.
Una’s specialization are Commercial law (mergers, corporate, insolvency law), Civil and contractual law, Labor Law, Financial Law, Real Estate law, EU and International law, Administrative law.
She also represents clients at court.
Within the framework of cooperation with KPMG Una has been leading the legal team in M&A projects, cross border mergers, restructuring projects, she takes part in various legal research projects, incl. PPP and state sector procurements, as well as ensures legal support to all kinds of consultations in audit and financial engagements.
Her special experience in financial and capital sector includes leading of a cross-border merger project for Latvian investment management company, due diligence and acquisition of the investment brokerage company in Latvia by the foreign bank, launching a new insurance product in Latvia for international insurance company and other. Currently Una takes active part in managing administration of the insolvent Latvijas Krajbanka.

Legal services - Civil law, commercial law and administrative law.
Transport and Logistics
Energy
Media
Banking
Nature Resources

Master of Social sciences in Law sciences, Law Faculty of University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
Foreign studies - Law Faculty of Nordrhein-Westfalen University, Munster, Germany

* * *

Ilze Kronberga has been in market research since 2001. Her main competences cover areas of consumer insights as well as customer service development. Ilze believes that truly sustainable growth of any business is based not just on proper business procedures and specifics, but also on appreciation of consumers and customers as personalities, on understanding their lifestyles, beliefs and habits. Being the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information, GfK enables its clients to make smarter decisions – this is what Ilze loves the most in her daily work with local as well as international companies in Baltic.

Baltic consumers and shoppers insights

• What are the opinions, attitudes and self-evaluation of residents in terms of their welfare?
• What is important for them in consumption?
• What are shopping habits of Baltic residents and do they trust retail sector?
• Where do they think the best customer service is delivered?
• How does the use of technologies changes the shopping and consumption nowadays?

* * *

Martins Barkāns, Owner: Abavas Vīni www.abavas.lv
Linkedin: Owner, BIGMedia, Latvia, Media Production
Current, BIG Media, Latvian News agency LETA

Martins Barkans calls himself a creative entrepreneur with good communication skills and ability to attain any audience. M.Barkans has extensive experience in the media, information technology and, more recently, agriculture and wine-growing areas. Viticulture and winemaking is Martin's passion, which began in 2007 and now has become a serious business. Currently, Martins is the largest Latvian fruit and berry winery "Abavas" owner, as well as active Nordic viticulture enthusiast.