Ingrida Bublys, Global Professional, President of IBInternational, Honorary General Consul of the Republic of Lithuania
Ingrida Bublys became active connector of Lithuania to the world in very early 1990s. The initiatives, projects and activities are numerous. Even before having the honor to represent Lithuania as a Consul in 1991 she arranged a sister facility relationship between the Cleveland Exposition Center (IX Center) and the Lithuanian Trade center LITEXPO in Vilnius to promote Lithuanian products to the USA. In 1992 the first container of Lithuanian products for exhibition arrived to the USA. to be exhibited at the “Business &Industry 2000” show. That same year, she led a successful campaign in the Lithuanian Parliament to retain LITEXPO as an exhibition center, rather than it be converted for other functions. Today Lithuania still has her business card the Lithuanian Trade Center- LITEXPO. In 2000, she organized a Joint Communique for establishment of mutual relationship between the Ohio Department of Agriculture, The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences, and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania and Lithuanian Agricultural University. These communiques opened many doors for Lithuania in the USA. In 2003, she organized the first IT Videoconference between USA and Lithuanian IT companies. In 2004, the first US Import-Export Bank loan was arranged for a Lithuanian agro company. As a Rotarian, she organized a relationship with the Panevezys Rotary Club and the Cleveland Rotary Club. She mediated for a memorandum of cooperation with one of the largest state universities in the USA- Kent University and Siauliai as well as Vilnius University which led to exchanges of professors and other programs, still very active today. As a member of many cultural and business organizations, she had the opportunity to promote Lithuania to various audiences. She has been invited as the Lecturer on business opportunities in Lithuania. She took part in founding the Lithuanian Trade Office in Chicago and organizing programs regarding doing business in Lithuania. She keeps strong ties with government officials in all three States of representation where on Independence Day Lithuania its flag is raised in cities and capitals. She consults USA companies to take a look at Lithuania as an attractive place for manufacturing and investment. She brought speakers as well as attendees to all past Life Sciences Baltics Conferences in Vilnius and organized the opportunity for the best-chosen startup company at the conference to visit and spend a week at the Akron Accelerator.
At the same time, she has been in charge of her own company IBInternational, a United States company, with offices in the US, Lithuania, and Germany, representing a number of firms in these countries. It provides a middleman/broker, marketing representative service, as well as consulting services. In addition to representation/ marketing, IBInternational also consults companies wishing to relocate their production, or to open their company offices in the US, or foreign firms in Lithuania. IBInternational also finds suitable companies for merging or acquisition.
In the opinion of Ingrida Bublys, Global Lithuanian professionals can promote, connect and open doors for Lithuania. Their diversity in various industries bring to the table a wide set of experience. Global leaders should be suggested concrete projects to obtain beneficial results. Their importance in problem solving for the country in social, political and business is another important contribution. Today it is important to develop new leaders in the country and GLL could be the mentors how to make Lithuania a desirable place to live and work. Today we should seek out to those people in Lithuania who want the country to become a pleasurable society to live in. Through these individuals, it will reform and advance the future of the country. GLL initiative and example can assist the new Lithuanians to formulate an idealistic society one that looks out for the interest of the country and all rather than the interest of an individuals.