Latvia, Lithuania, Railways, Transport

Sources have told that RB Rail's shareholders want to bring in a new CEO from Poland or Finland, rather than from the Baltic countries. 

Riia Sillave, chairperson of the RB Rail supervisory board and CEO at Rail Baltic Estonia, told that the search for a new CEO has been started.

"The contract with the current CEO of RB Rail AS terminates as of end of October. The supervisory board of the company has initiated the process of executive search," Sillave told.

"(The executive search firm) Amrop was contracted to carry out the search in the Baltic states, as well as in Finland and Poland. Beside the direct search, an open announcement will be published within the next weeks. the goal is to find the best candidate for the position in this important Rail Baltica implementation phase," she said.

Rubesa, who has been at the helm of RB Rail since October 2015, would not tell if she plans to seek re-appointment. 

The Estonian and Lithuanian shareholders of the joint venture last February expressed no-confidence in Rubesa, saying that they were not satisfied with her performance and wanted change. The Latvian shareholder then sustained. However, the supervisory board did not consider dismissing Rubesa. 

Rubesa decided to stay on, saying that she had been facing resistance from some members of the supervisory board. 

Lithuanian Transport Minister Rokas Masiulis told in March of 2018 that the CEO should step down.