airBaltic has appointed Katya Leidmane as Vice President of Human Resources to strengthen its leadership bench at a time of continued growth and transformation. Bringing more than two decades of senior HR experience across multiple industries, she is expected to enhance leadership development, elevate employee engagement, and align people strategy with business goals. The move reflects the airline’s focus on building a resilient, people-driven organisation to support long-term expansion and operational excellence.
Latvia’s flag carrier airBaltic has confirmed the appointment of Katya Leidmane as Vice President of Human Resources, with her tenure beginning on 16 January 2026. In this position, she will oversee the airline’s people strategy, placing strong emphasis on leadership capability, workforce engagement, and organisational performance, while playing a key role in advancing airBaltic’s long-term growth and transformation objectives.
Katya Leidmane, Vice President of Human Resources at airBaltic: “I am excited to join airBaltic and
become part of such a dynamic and ambitious company. I look forward to working closely with the
leadership team and employees to build strong people practices that support sustainable growth,
engagement, and organisational excellence.”
Katya Leidmane brings a wealth of strategic human resources expertise to her new role, shaped by more than twenty years of leadership experience across multiple industries. Her career reflects a consistent focus on aligning people strategies with business objectives, driving transformation, and building organisational cultures that support long-term growth. This extensive background positions her as a strong asset for airBaltic as the airline continues to evolve in a competitive and fast-changing aviation environment.
Prior to joining airBaltic, Leidmane served as People Director at Circle K Latvia, where she was a key member of the executive leadership team. In this role, she carried responsibility not only for human resources but also for health, safety, and environmental operations, overseeing a workforce of approximately 850 employees. Operating within a global corporate framework, she played a central role in modernising people management practices and supporting business expansion. Her work contributed to stronger leadership pipelines, higher levels of employee engagement, and the successful execution of organisational change initiatives designed to meet both local and international objectives.
Leidmane was particularly influential in guiding Circle K Latvia through periods of transformation, ensuring that structural changes were supported by clear communication, leadership development, and a strong focus on employee wellbeing. By fostering collaboration across teams and aligning HR processes with strategic goals, she helped create a more agile organisation capable of adapting to shifting market demands.
More recently, Leidmane was associated with ERDA, where she worked as a trusted advisor to organisations undergoing significant change. In this capacity, she partnered closely with senior executives to design and implement effective HR strategies, refine organisational structures, and enhance leadership effectiveness. Her advisory work often focused on navigating complexity, managing growth, and ensuring that transformation programmes delivered sustainable results. Through this experience, she gained deeper insight into diverse business models and leadership challenges across sectors.
Earlier in her career, Leidmane held senior human resources leadership roles at GE Money, where she managed large HR functions and supported extensive transformation and organisational redesign initiatives. Her responsibilities included aligning workforce strategies with growth plans, managing change across complex operational environments, and supporting leadership teams through periods of rapid development. These roles strengthened her ability to balance strategic vision with operational execution.
Her professional journey also includes experience at Swedbank, where she contributed to people and organisational development initiatives within a highly complex corporate structure. This role further expanded her expertise in stakeholder collaboration, talent development, and change leadership in regulated and performance-driven environments.
airBaltic has named Katya Leidmane as Vice President of Human Resources to reinforce its leadership team and support its evolving growth strategy. With extensive senior HR experience, she will focus on strengthening leadership capabilities and employee engagement. The appointment underscores the airline’s commitment to a people-first approach as it continues its transformation.
Across all stages of her career, Leidmane has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing leaders, empowering employees, and building resilient organisational cultures. Her comprehensive understanding of strategic human capital management, combined with hands-on experience in transformation and growth, aligns closely with airBaltic’s ambition to strengthen its workforce and create sustainable value. As the airline continues to expand its footprint across Europe and beyond, her leadership is expected to play a key role in supporting both organisational resilience and long-term success.
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