Labas!

S³ is proud to join all our friends and partners in Lithuania in celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the restoration of the country’s independence. The occasion was marked in Washington, DC this week by a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius.

Lithuania’s strategic partnership with the U.S. reflects the shared values and deep bonds between the two nations, especially in our commitment to freedom, democracy and economic opportunity. S³’s first international office opened in Lithuania more than fifteen (15) years ago, and our investments there have expanded as Lithuania has emerged as a politically stable, free-market economy, especially after becoming full members of the European Union and NATO in 2004.

Most importantly for investors and companies, Lithuania offers a wide range of highly-skilled and motivated talent in Europe. More and more global companies are discovering the well-educated workforce … in all areas of IT to finance and multi-lingual administrative roles … in Lithuania and making it part of their international footprint. For the past decade, S³ has helped clients establish and grow Shared Service Centers in Lithuania as a real alternative to traditional out-sourcing in South Asia. Plus, Lithuania is a very enjoyable place to visit and to work.

Some of the things we love about doing business in Lithuania:

• Approximately 93% of Lithuanians have a secondary degree or other form of higher education, including leading rates of graduates in math and science in all of the European Union
• Nearly half the population speaks at least two (2) languages – one S³ client operates a regional (Europe) financial center of excellence with employees able to conduct business in twenty-two (22) languages
• The country has the world’s second fastest broadband, along with an sound infrastructure
• It has low corporate tax rates and ranked #1 for competitiveness growth in the E.U.
• The investment promotion agency, Invest Lithuania, makes it very easy to learn about and start-up a business

S³ has also expanded and deepened our commitment to Lithuania. In addition to helping more than 1,900 Lithuanians start new careers with our clients in Vilnius and Kaunas, S³ has made significant investments in business-promotion and community-related organizations to strengthen the ties between Lithuania, the U.S., and, increasingly, the United Kingdom. S³ CEO Cindy Pasky is the Founding Chair of the American-Lithuanian Business Council (ALBC), and serves on the Investor Advisory Committee of the Government of Lithuania, where she is regularly a keynote speaker. In 2014, she received the Global Lithuanian Leaders Award for 2013 from the Global Lithuanian Leaders for her involvement in investing in and promoting Lithuania. S³, with the ALBC, has been a leading advocate of labor code reform that we believe will lead to more investment and more jobs in Lithuania.

S³ is especially proud to have recruited Lithuanians to return home from more than seven (7) countries for jobs with our clients. And, S³ organizes recruitment events in different locations, from London to Los Angeles, to encourage more Lithuanians to return home for job. We are always looking for great people who are looking for new career opportunities with global companies at home in Lithuania.

Additionally, S³ has sponsored a wide range of charitable, community-building activities and organizations, including:

• ExCel high-school exchange program that enables Lithuanian students to spend an academic year in the U.S.
• Internships, in partnership with our clients and partners, S³ actively promotes and sponsors intern work-experience programs in Lithuania
• In 2014, S³ sponsored the 30-member Mosaic Youth Choir of Detroit to visit Lithuania and perform in front of capacity crowds at free public concerts in Vilnius and Marijampole

S³‘s work in Lithuania is led by a dedicated (and long-serving) management team – including Country Manager Mantas Paskevicius (8 years), Vice President Jeff Nelson (8 years) and Executive Vice President Denise Kurowski (24 years) – who share Cindy Pasky’s vision and passion for creating new opportunities for all Lithuanians.

We are very proud of our strong ties to Lithuania, and we salute our brave and brilliant friends and partners in Lithuania on the 25^th anniversary of the restoration of their freedom.