Ainars Slesers: Latvian businessman and politician
Written byTimes Magazine
Ainars Slesers is a Latvian businessman and politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia, as well as Deputy Mayor of Riga.
Slesers began out his business in Norway, becoming President of the Latvian Information and Commerce Center in Norway in 1992. Through joint ventures collectively with Stein Erik Hagen and Frank Varner, he opened severa purchasing centres in addition to actual property and business houses in Latvia. During 1994–1998 he became Director General at Norwegian retail chain "Varner Baltija" and Director General of "Varner Hakon Invest", each ventures of Varner-Gruppen. He was Chairman of the Board and President of JSC Supermarket "Centrs" (1995–1998) and Director General of Rimi Baltija, Ltd (1996–1997).
Slesers has been credited for bringing some of the first foreign investors to Latvia. Through his joint ventures, he has opened and developed Rimi Baltic, Bik Bok, Narvesen, Cubus, Dressmann store chains; primary purchasing shops in Riga – Galerija Centrs, Mols, Dole, Alfa, Minsk, Origo and Olympia; motels Radisson Blu Ridzene and Radisson Blu Latvija, in addition to big actual property developments – Saules Akmens and Saliena.
He was the leader of a Parliament Deputy of the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Saeima. He was the Minister of Economics withinside the cabinet of Vilis Kristopans, Minister of Transport withinside the cabinet of Indulis Emsis, Aigars Kalvitis and Lvars Godmains, Deputy Prime Minister withinside the cabinet of Einars Repse and Indulis Emsis, and Deputy Mayor of Riga in 2009–2010.
Slesers was Minister of Transport and Communications, at the same time as also serving as Deputy Prime Minister in Indulis Emsis Government. During those years, he's credited for developing the Riga International Airport right into a nearby hub, increasing the number of passengers tenfold.
The critical step withinside the development of the airport was the settlement between Slesers and Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary approximately entering the Riga Airport in 2005. At the equal time, the Latvian government-owned airline airBaltic has gradually become the most important airline withinside the Baltics. Due to its fast paced growth, the Riga Airport was covered withinside the EU railway improvement project, Rail Baltica. With general investments exceeding 5,8 billion Euros, the project will provide convenient connections to the Baltic Capitals and to Western Europe.
