We are proud to launch the BMI Board Network with an exceptional inaugural event focused on business governance and leadership impact.
Our first speaker is Martin Gauss, former CEO of airBaltic, who led the airline through one of the most transformative periods in European aviation. With more than two decades of leadership experience in one of the world’s most competitive industries, Martin offers a rare and relevant perspective for today’s executives and board members.
This is a unique opportunity to hear firsthand how a CEO navigated strategic change, crisis, and long-term value creation — and how those experiences now inform his thinking and role as a board member.
The event will feature a 60-minute keynote speech followed by a 30-minute open Q&A session, giving participants the opportunity to engage directly with Martin and explore the human side of governance: resilience, responsibility, and leadership in practice.
This launch marks the beginning of the BMI Board Network – a platform where governance is not only discussed but experienced through real stories, real leaders, and real challenges.
Session Highlights:
- Inside airBaltic: A behind-the-scenes account of a bold transformation in European aviation
- Endings & New Beginnings: What it means to exit dramatically
- Boardroom Realities: What boards truly need — and what they often overlook
- Life After Power: Reclaiming purpose and influence beyond the CEO role
About Speaker
Martin Gauss is a seasoned aviation executive with over two decades of CEO-level leadership across European airlines. From 2011 to 2025, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board at airBaltic, where he led a full-scale transformation of Latvia’s national carrier.
Taking over a company with a €121M net loss, Martin guided airBaltic to achieving a €9M net profit and growing annual passenger numbers from 3.4 to 5 million. Despite severe external shocks – including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine – he stabilized the business during a €265M loss in 2020 and restored growth to record levels by 2024, with revenues rising from €145M in 2020 to €748M in 2024.
Prior to airBaltic, Martin held CEO roles at Malev Hungarian Airlines, Cirrus Airlines, and DBA – Deutsche British Airways.
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