Lauri Lugna to become Chairman of the Management Board of the KredEx and Enterprise Estonia joint organisation

According to Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt, the key to the success of the association is cooperation between all parties.
‘The success of an organisation depends both on the cooperation between the Management Board and the Supervisory Board, and on how well the staff work together to achieve the goals that have been jointly set. Lauri has been a top executive at a large organisation for a long time, has experience in merging organisations, and has shaped an organisational culture that values the customer experience. With the Supervisory Board, comprised of people with international business, financial and public sector backgrounds, the new organisation is ready to achieve great things. I wish every success to Lauri and the team,’ said Sutt.

As Deputy Director General of the Estonian Road Administration, Lugna has led the way in serving customers and making traffic safer. As Permanent Secretary he has, for the past six years, served as the head of the area of government of the Ministry of the Interior, which has the largest staff in Estonia. He holds a degree in Public Administration and Economics from the University of Tartu and a Master’s level degree in European Union Policy Making from a University in Belgium. He is currently continuing his studies in the EBS Executive MBA programme. He is not a member of any political party.

According to Ants Noot, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the joint organisation, Lauri Lugna’s experience as a top executive and promoter of innovation has enabled him to learn about the needs of society as a whole, and to understand the problems and development opportunities of Estonian society and its economy from both an international and local perspective.

‘His experience as a top public sector executive will allow him to better match the opportunities of the state with the needs of businesses and homeowners, while he also has experience in fostering partnerships and understanding the needs of customers, which will no doubt be needed in running the foundation,’ said Noot.

According to Lauri Lugna, his main task will be bringing the two organisations together into a customer-centric whole. ‘As an executive, my job is to be a connector, to create a new strategy and structure. Our main goal is to help the Estonian economy grow, to support entrepreneurs where possible and necessary, and to improve the lives of our people by helping them build or renovate their homes. The current managers and staff of the agencies have done a very good job, as confirmed by customer satisfaction and international recognition.’

The organisation, with the legal name Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, was created with the merger of Enterprise Estonia and KredEx. The main objective of the joint organisation is to support entrepreneurship and the improvement of living conditions in Estonia, increase our international competitiveness, visibility and attractiveness as a place for business, living and studies. ‘The new organisation also has a key role to play in digital, green, and innovation transitions, and in the development of the Estonian capital market.

A transition phase will start in January, where a new structure and brand will be created for the joint organisation. The substantive merger will be completed in the course of 2022. In the meantime, services will continue to be offered under the existing brands of Enterprise Estonia and KredEx, and all services and websites will remain.