Associated Professor, Dr. Ilona Baumane-Vītoliņa from the University of Latvia works in the field of management, organizational theory, social capital, social network analysis, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. She did her post-doc research on effective innovation ecosystem development possibilities in the Baltic States. Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Baumane-Vītoliņa's impact extends into the practical realm of Human Resources (HR). Since 2008, she has balanced her academic career with a parallel track in the international chief executive search field. Currently she is a partner at AIMS, an international network of executive search companies spanning across 50 countries.