Earlier this week, Erkki Raasuke was announced as a new member and the new chair of EIS' supervisory board.

Sandra Särav, a deputy secretary general at the MKM who had previously chaired the EIS supervisory board, told ERR that Raasuke has already taken over the process of selecting a new director for the agency.

She added, however, that there are also plans to review the composition and size of the supervisory board to determine whether its current scope and representation are the most suitable.

Särav confirmed that changes to the supervisory board's membership are possible as well.

"We will also be able to properly assess the entire leadership of EIS, ensuring that ministry, management board and supervisory board representatives align their objectives as a trio," she said.

Raasuke declined to yet discuss his thoughts on the changes ahead for the agency.

"I've had very little opportunity to communicate with the organization itself," he acknowledged. "So my first step will be to engage with the team."

Regarding the selection of a new director, Raasuke confirmed that the process is well underway but still in progress — not yet at the finish line. He added that everything is progressing smoothly, but nothing is final until the paperwork is signed at the dotted line.

Särav admitted that it was a strange situation, chairing EIS' supervisory board while simultaneously serving as the ministry's representative on the same.

On one hand, as MKM deputy secretary general, she was responsible for overseeing many EIS-related processes and formalizing the founder's expectations; on the other, as supervisory board chair, she was tasked with implementing those expectations.

In reality, she acknowledged, juggling both roles at the same time wasn't practical.

"The ministry's representative has actually always been the supervisory board's vice chair," Särav pointed out. She explained that as chair of the supervisory board, she worked to find a suitable candidate to replace herself. Once she had successfully persuaded Raasuke to take on the role, it was time for her to step back into her position as vice chair.

Särav highlighted Raasuke's value to the role, given his financial sector background and EIS' aim to be a valuable partner for businesses.

EIS was established in 2022 through the merger of Kredex and Enterprise Estonia. Currently serving on EIS' supervisory board are Hando Sutter, Mait Palts, Oliver Väärtnõu, Renno Veinthal, Hannes Ojangu, Anto Liivat, Taavi Tamkivi, Sandra Särav and Erkki Raasuke.

EIS' previous CEO, Kati Kusmin, was dismissed by the supervisory board in December after the latter determined that expected changes to the agency had not been implemented quickly or substantively enough.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!