The Board of the gas transmission system operator Amber Grid, which is a part of the new energy group EPSO-G, has appointed Nemunas Biknius as the CEO of the company for a new five-year term. N. Biknius has been leading the company since April 2020, and his term as the CEO of Amber Grid ends in April this year.
"The ambitious implementation of the entire EPSO-G Group strategy requires that the strategically important national company Amber Grid be led by a leader who can make decisions that are beneficial to the entire Lithuanian energy sector, shaping the future and creating long-term value. We are pleased and grateful that the opportunity to contribute to strengthening Lithuania's energy independence has attracted great interest - almost 30 strong candidates. The Board, having evaluated the candidates selected by the external executive search company and the EPSO-G Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the recommendations provided, considered in detail the 6 strongest applicants, from which it appointed Nemunas Biknius as the CEO," says Paulius Butkus, Chairman of the Board of Amber Grid.
According to P. Butkus, the transformation of the energy sector highlights the key directions of Amber Grid, and the newly approved company strategy by the Board also provides guidelines for the CEO. "The field of priorities of Amber Grid is expanding - ensuring the stability, modernization and optimization of the existing gas transmission system and implementing critical energy infrastructure security measures, goals are also being set in the green hydrogen and carbon dioxide segments. In the assessment of the board, the selected candidate has demonstrated the best competencies in order to successfully achieve the goals set in the strategy, while ensuring the continuity of existing activities and the stability of the organization, while simultaneously transforming into an energy organization of the future," says the Chairman of the Board of Amber Grid.
In compliance with the highest transparency requirements and good governance practices, the EPSO-G Nomination and Remuneration Committee, consisting of independent members, and the professional international recruitment firm Pedersen & Partners assisted the Amber Grid Board in selecting the candidate in a publicly announced competition.
N. Biknius has been managing the company since April 2020, having previously been managing the company on an interim basis for almost half a year. Previously, N. Biknius worked as the Head of Strategy and Development at EPSO-G, a shareholder of Amber Grid.
Amber Grid operates a 2,288 km high-pressure gas pipeline network throughout Lithuania, and also manages more than 60 gas distribution and metering stations and two gas compressor stations. The Amber Grid system is connected to the gas transmission systems of four other countries and the Klaipėda liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. The well-developed gas transmission infrastructure is convenient for transporting large amounts of energy to Poland, the Baltic States and Finland. In pursuit of the decarbonization goals of the gas sector, Amber Grid is actively working to create conditions for the development of biomethane and the adaptation of the gas transmission system to the transportation of green gas, including hydrogen. Amber Grid also administers the national register of guarantees of origin for gas produced from renewable energy sources (RES).
