There have been changes in the board of Latvia’s largest business association, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) – the current chairman of the board, Jānis Endziņš, has decided to step down in order to devote all his energy and attention to leading the Action Group for Reducing Bureaucracy, while the new chair of the LTRK board is Katrīna Zariņa, a former member of the board.

This week, members of the Saeima and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa decided to entrust the leadership of the Bureaucracy Reduction Action Group to Jānis Endziņš – a person whose voice has long been one of the most prominent in advocating for effective, business-friendly public administration. For years, the LCCI has emphasized the need to reduce the bureaucratic burden, strengthening the competitiveness of Latvian entrepreneurs, making the investment environment more attractive, and saving state resources. The leadership of the bureaucracy reduction action group is an important step towards turning these ideas into real work and results.

To ensure the continuity of the LCCI’s work, on October 16, the LCCI Council decided to appoint Katrīna Zariņa as Chair of the Board. She has previously served as a member of the Board and Director of the Foreign Affairs Department, representing the interests of Latvian entrepreneurs at both European and international level. The Board will continue to work as a two-person team, together with Jānis Lielpēteris, who will continue to serve as a member of the Board.

“My career at the LCCI began quite a long time ago, and during my career I have held a wide variety of positions and gained a wealth of experience, which I believe will be useful in my next step – leading the largest business organization in the country, the LCCI! I plan to continue the course of action initiated by the organization, in accordance with the goals and priorities defined in the strategy – to strengthen the LCCI’s competence and capacity, to develop accessible and beneficial services for members to promote their competitiveness and export capacity. This is a personal and professional challenge! I look forward to working closely with LCCI members and LCCI Council members, and my team – all LCCI employees – will play a significant role in achieving the defined goals,” says Katrīna Zariņa. The current Chairman of the LCCI Board, Jānis Endziņš, will remain in office until November 28, 2025, while Katrīna Zariņa will take up her position on December 1.