Before him, Audrius Bendaravičius had a short go at the helm of the company, having himself replaced the company's former boss Arūnas Laurinaitis who resigned from the post. Sources tell 15min that the company is once again in talks with Laurinaitis, a companion of late Lubys, about his possible return to Achema.
"In fact, this information will not be released before shareholders make a decision. There are all kinds of discussions, but no decisions yet. One should not raise the question of returning there. I would not wish to exacerbate the situation. I suggest you wait a little," Laurinaitis commented when asked whether he would agree to lead the company.
 |
| „Achemos grupės“ nuotr./Achema Group president Arūnas Laurinaitis |
Meanwhile Achema itself, majority-owned by Lubys's widow Lyda Lubienė and their daughter, keeps silent about any alleged talks with Laurinaitis.
Gintarė Mierkienė, the company's spokeswoman, tells 15min that Valdemaras Vareika "is and will continue" in the post of the CEO of Achema Group.
Vareika, who had been a long-time employee at Jonava-based fertilizer manufacturer Achema, became the CEO in early June. Before that Vareika, who is an engineer by training, had spent 27 years with the company - at first working as a repair man, then production plant manager, and production director since 2008. In April 2012, he was appointed the CEO of Achema.
When he became the boss of the entire group, Vareika said he would pursue its long-term strategy of giving up loss-making businesses and concentrating on growth.
"The bulk of investment will go towards the group's major companies - AB Achema and Klaipėda sea cargo company KLASCO - and green energy. Since natural gas is an expensive resource, we will concentrate on it as our main raw produce," Vareika said.
Meanwhile Laurinaitis had run the group since the death of Bronislovas Lubys, its majority shareholder, in October 2011 until last January. He abdicated from the post without publicly explaining his reasons. A number of higher management employees left the group with Laurinaitis, including economy and finance director Violeta Latvienė, spokeswoman Virginija Danauskienė, and board member Antanas Zabulis.
 |
| lprofsajungos.lt nuotr./Valdemaras Vareika |
Between January and June, Achema Group was run by acting CEO Audrius Bendaravičius, economy-finance director of Achema.
One of the main achievements of Laurinaitis's term as the CEO was a contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom on supplying gas to the Jonava-based fertilizer manufacturer, Achema, on discounted rates.
On the other hand, the group saw its profits shrink in 2012. Last year, Achema Group made 113.064 million litas in consolidated profits, a 41.7-percent drop from 193.899 million in 2011.
Achema Group, founded in 2001, owns over 50 companies in Lithuania and abroad, including Achema, the biggest loading company in Klaipėda port KLASCO, fertilizer manufacturer Agrochema, a number of media outlets and hotels, a wind power plant park in west Lithuania.
50.375 percent of shares in Achema Group is owned by Lyda Lubienė, widow of late Bronislovas Lubys who was one of Lithuania's wealthiest businessmen, and their daughter Viktorija Lubytė. Another 11.625 percent belongs to Lubys's elder daughter Jūratė Žadeikienė.
