Latvian airline airBaltic has appointed Katya Leidmane as its new vice president of human resources, effective as of January 16, 2026.
In her new role, Leidmane will lead airBaltic's human resources function, focussing on leadership development, employee engagement, and organisational effectiveness, and supporting the company's growth plans.
Leidmane brings over 20 years of senior HR leadership experience across retail, financial services, and professional services sector.
“I am excited to join airBaltic and become part of such a dynamic and ambitious company," said Leidmane. ”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.”
Prior to joining airBaltic, Leidmane, she served as people director at Circle K Latvia, where she was a member of the management team and led people, health, safety, and environment functions for approximately 850 employees. During her tenure, she played a key role in driving organisational change, leadership development, employee engagement initiatives, and supporting business growth within an international matrix environment.
Most recently, Leidmane worked at ERDA, where she advised organisations on HR strategy, organisational development, leadership effectiveness, and transformation initiatives, supporting senior management teams through periods of change and growth.
Earlier in her career, Leidmane held senior HR leadership roles at GE Money, where she led large HR teams and supported major transformation initiatives, organisational restructuring, and business growth. She also held roles at Swedbank, contributing to people and organisational development initiatives in a complex corporate environment.