The Supervisory Board of the joint-stock company “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) has appointed the new Chair of the LVM Management Board; Sandis Jansons will lead the company for the next five years, starting his duties on 1 October 2026.
Sandis Jansons previously served as the Chair of the Management Board at AS “Sadales tīkls”, where he led the implementation of the company's operational efficiency programmes and its digitalisation. Mr Jansons has also been actively involved in the development of Latvian energy policy and the overall progress of the sector. His prior professional experience includes various management-level positions at large-scale companies such as AS “Rīgas Dzirnavnieks” (Lantmannen), SIA “SBE Latvija” (Lantmannen), SIA “Magnum Medical”, SIA “Philip Morris Latvia”, and others. Mr Jansons holds an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
Chair of the LVM Supervisory Board Zane Driņķe emphasises:
“Under the leadership of the new Chair, the company’s Management Board will need to ensure balanced corporate development while simultaneously strengthening financial results and sustainable, socially responsible management of state forests.
The Supervisory Board expects the Management Board to work purposefully towards increasing the company's efficiency and developing innovation and digitalisation. At the same time, major priorities include maintaining high standards of corporate governance, cybersecurity, talent development, and strengthening public trust.”
The competition for the position of LVM Chair of the Management Board was announced on 1 June 2026.
Based on the Law on Management of Capital Shares and Capital Companies of a Public Person and in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 20 of 7 January 2020, “Procedures for the Nomination of Members of Management and Supervisory Boards in Capital Companies Where Capital Shares are Owned by the State or a Derived Public Person”, the LVM Supervisory Board established a seven-member nomination committee to ensure the selection process for the LVM Chair. The committee consisted of representatives from the State Chancellery’s Inter-institutional Coordination Department, the Employers' Confederation of Latvia, the Nature Protection Department of the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, the Latvian Forest Industry Federation, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the LVM Supervisory Board and the Ministry of Agriculture.
In total, 41 applications were received for the position of Chair of the Management Board.
The work of the nomination committee concluded on 11 August 2026, when a decision on the results of the competition was taken and a proposal regarding the three most suitable candidates for the position of Chair was prepared and submitted to the LVM Supervisory Board for a final decision.
LVM manages and administers 1.62 million hectares of land in the Republic of Latvia, including 1.60 million hectares of forest land, of which 1.39 million hectares is forest. LVM implements state interests in forest management, ensuring the preservation and enhancement of forest values, while generating the maximum possible income for the owner – the state.