YOUNG PROFESSIONALS’ PROGRAM 2023

Connecting and Engaging over the Baltic Sea

The aim of the Young Professionals´ leadership program is two-fold: to connect young people over the Baltic Sea and provide a better grip of a neighboring country, as well as to develop their leadership skills. In 2023, when this program was arranged for the second time, nineteen young people from Sweden and Lithuania took part of the program, which is arranged by the cooperation fund, and supported by SEB and Swedbank. The age range is around 20-35, and the program consists of two times two working days. The first leg took place in Vilnius, the second in Stockholm. It might not seam a lot of time, but it is enough to get a better understanding of the respective country, as well as to start developing lasting networks.

Both parts contained meetings with highly ranked persons in the respective government; in Vilnius the group met with the Prime minister Ingrida Šimonyté, and in Sweden with the minister for foreign affairs, Tobias Billström (the photo above is from this meeting). Both ministers were very open and happy to answer questions about current politics, as well as leadership. Other highlights are the co-founder and Chairman of the board of Lithuanian business angel network, Vladas Lašas on Lithuanian Innovation, and Swedish historian Martin Hårdstedt on five events that have formed the Swedish-Lithuanian relations. In Stockholm Gabriela Almonacid from HR at SEB gave an interactive presentation on transformative leadership and Hedda Jakobsson, policy strategist at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce gave a presentation on visions and challenges for the capital of Sweden.

The participants of the 2023 program were from Lithuania: Darius Vizbaras, Dominykas Gudavičius, Gytautas Kulakauskas, Jovilė Piragiūtė, Kristina Gudaitė, Kristina Liepone, Rėjus Martišius, Ruta Triausyte, Sandra Glėbienė, and Kristina Konciute. From Sweden: Emma Svensson, Fabiola Manjivar, Gilvile Antonovaite, Iveta Mikalajūnaitė, Johanna Salmi, Johannes Thernström, Johannes Thornberg, Mikaela Sundin and Vaida Razaityte.

The full programs can be viewed below:                     

Young Professionals´ program in Vilnius

Young Professionals´ program in Stockholm

On behalf of the program - a special thank you to the SEB head quarters in Lithuania and the SEB head quarters in Sweden for excellent cooperation and for hosting us.