The open competition announced by the State Chancellery for the position of State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics (MoE) has concluded, and Raivis Bremšmits, currently serving as Acting State Secretary, has been nominated for the post.
R. Bremšmits began working at the MoE in 2024 as Deputy State Secretary. He was temporarily appointed as Director of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA), where he served until the conclusion of the selection process for a new director, and during his tenure led internal reorganization at LIAA. Prior to that, R. Bremšmits worked for several years at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (now the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development), holding various positions, including Director of the State Sustainable Development Planning Department. He has also worked in the private and non-governmental sectors. R. Bremšmits is a reservist in the National Guard.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and a Master's degree in Political Science from the Faculty of European Studies at Riga Stradiņš University.
The competition, announced on August 22, took place in three rounds. In the first round, the selection committee evaluated submitted documents and the candidates’ compliance with mandatory requirements. In the second round, candidates presented their motivation for the position, responded to the committee’s questions, and outlined their vision for the MoE’s medium- and long-term priorities, development directions, and future challenges, providing insights into key priorities and proposals for their implementation.
In the third round, candidates’ leadership competencies were assessed, including strategic vision, results orientation, decision-making and accountability, change management, and team leadership.
At the conclusion of the competition, the highest-rated candidate, R. Bremšmits, was recommended to the Minister of Economics for appointment, and the minister has decided to submit his nomination to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval.
The candidate evaluation commission was chaired by the Economic Minister’s advisor, Artūrs Zandersons. The commission included Normunds Audzišs, Executive Director of the Latvian Association of Major Cities; Kaspars Gorkšs, Director General of the Latvian Employers’ Confederation; Mudīte Juhna, Secretary General of the Latvian Association of Local Governments; and Raivis Kronbergs, Director of the State Chancellery. Observers in the evaluation process included Jānis Endziņš, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Līva Stūrmane, Executive Director of the Latvian Exporters’ Association “The Red Jackets.”