Dr. Irina SENNIKOVA

Irina Sennikova is an accomplished academic leader and researcher with a strong focus on
entrepreneurship and innovation. She currently serves as a Board member and the Vice Rector of
Academic and International Affairs at RISEBA University of Applied Sciences in Riga, Latvia.
Irina holds an MA degree in English philology from the University of Latvia, an International
Executive MBA and MSc in Management from IEDC-Bled School of Management (Slovenia),
and a PhD in Management from Kozminski University (Poland). Her doctoral thesis was devoted
to the phenomenon of intellectual entrepreneurship, a topic she has continued to research
extensively. Irina's research interests lie mainly in the area of intellectual entrepreneurship,
entrepreneurial leadership and leadership development, as well as in the development of business
education and its internationalization. She is part of a cross-country research project on Hidden
Champions – innovative SMEs with global reach from dynamic societies, coordinated by
CEEMAN (Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies), of which Irina is a
Vice President. She previously served as the Rector of RISEBA University for 10 years until her
elected term expired in 2020.