2nd BMDA Annual Conference

The Second Annual Conference “Enhancing Baltic Managerial Competitiveness” was held on May 6-7 2004 in Riga and hosted by the Banking Institution of Higher Education (BIHE), International School of Economics and Business Administration (RISEBA) and School of Business Administration TURIBA.

The Second Annual Conference “Enhancing Baltic Managerial Competitiveness” was held on May 6-7 2004 in Riga and hosted by the Banking Institution of Higher Education (BIHE), International School of Economics and Business Administration (RISEBA) and School of Business Administration TURIBA.

The Second Annual BMDA Conference “Enhancing Baltic Managerial Competitiveness” aimed at exploring the current views and theories on the contemporary leader's competencies, abilities, knowledge and skills that today’s manager shall possess in order to be successful in the context of fast changes taking place in Europe and the whole world. How Baltic manager and leader is fitting those global approaches? Is he/she somehow unique, different from the managers in the other regions or just copy of the current global leader?  What kind of challenges Baltic manager is facing while entering the external markets or hosting the foreign company established in there? What should be the business schools’ role preparing competitive manager? These and other issues will be presented and discussed during the conference by the famous and known professors in management, business leaders, management consultants and other experts on management development.

            There were 86 participants from 13 countries – Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This conference was special in that way that it took place in the first week after the EU enlargement, after the entering new opportunities, new hopes and new challenges at the same time. Growth and other challenges brought us to the topic of this conference – how our new countries will be able to find their strong positions in new Europe; what shall be done in order to be successful in this global world; what kind of business leaders we should develop in order to be competitive in this increasingly global market. Somebody said once that all great leaders have understood that their number one responsibility is cultivating their one discipline and personal growth. Those who cannot lead themselves to the growth of their professionalism cannot lead others. Current and future leaders of business and education gathered together to become more professional, to become better, to grow together by sharing their experiences, their thoughts, their ideas, and their dreams by talking, by listening, by actively participating in the conference.

            The Second Annual BMDA Conference lasted for 2 days. During the first day the conference took place in the conference hall “Daugava” where the welcome speeches by Dr. Virginijus Kundrotas (President of BMDA, Rector of the International School of Management), Mr. Andrew Rasbash (Head of the European Commission Delegation in Latvia), also opening remarks by the Chairman of the Conference Prof. Larry Stout (USA, Stocholm School of Economics in Riga) were heard. In the second part of the day the theme “MANAGERIAL COMPETITIVENESS IN THE CHANGING WORLD” was discussed. This first part discussion consisted of two speeches. The first one: “WHAT QUALITIES TODAY’S LEADER SHOULD HAVE?” by Prof. Danica Purg (Dean and Director of IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia) and the second: “ENTREPRENEUR, NOT ONLY A MANAGER (THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES)” by Dr. Philipp Weckherlin (Partner and Founder, CEI/CE Asset Management/CE Services, Switzerland). The second day began in the conference hall “Lielupe” with the theme “BALTIC MANAGERS IN NEW EUROPE” discussed by three speeches:  “INTELLECTUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A POSSIBLE KEY TO SUCCSESS OF BALTIC MANAGER” by Ms. Irina Sennikova (Rector, Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration (RISEBA), Latvia), “CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES” by Mr. Peter Hjermind (Director, Inscape Baltic, Latvia) ant the third one “WEST MEETS EAST – BALTIC MANAGERS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE” by Ms. Nicola Hijlkema (Pro-Rector for International Relations, Estonian Business School, Estonia). After the short break the participants of the Conference had the possibility to choose between Parallel Group sessions according to their interests. There were three themes presented: 1) “Business schools’ curriculum innovations in order to prepare competitive manager”, Session leader Dr. Bert Wolfs (Academic Dean, Swiss Business School, Switzerland), 2) “BUSINESS ethics role in educating today’s leader”, Session leader Mr. Mathew Wood (Director for Communication and External Relations, EFMD, Belgium) and 3) “HRM POLICY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE MANAGER IN THE COMPANY”, Session leader Mr. Aivars Kalnins (President, Latvian Association for Personnel Management (LAPM), Latvia). The last but not least part of the conference was “MANAGERIAL COMPETITIVENESS: THE KEY to SUCCESS” by Panel leader Mr. Jarmo Kesanto (Senior Director, Client Relationships, Profit Technologies, United Kingdom) which consisted of four speeches: first “managing an established company in the baltics”, Mr. Bertolt Martin Flick (President and CEO Air Baltic Corporation AS, Latvia); second ”managing a COMPANy in the BALTIC MARKET and outside”, Mr. Tomas Juška (CEO, Libra Group, Lithuania); third “the success factors of the baltic companies going abroad”, Mr. Ervins Butkevics (Vice Chairman of the Board, “Kalnozols Construction”, Latvia) and fourth “DO WE HAVE MANAGERIAL COMPETITIVENESS IN THE BALTICS?”, Mr. Janis Caune (Managing Director, Balta eko Ltd., Latvia). The conferences ended with the closing remarks by the Chairman and perfect Gala dinner.