A Strategic Session of the Penki Kontinentai Group Took Place in Lithuania

From 26 to 30 January 2026, the Penki Kontinentai Group held its strategic session in Vilnius. As part of the session, presentations were delivered by representatives of BS/2 and ASHBURN International. The event brought together employees from the Group’s headquarters in Vilnius, colleagues from BS/2 subsidiaries in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan and Estonia, as well as invited guests and partners of the Group. Specialists who were unable to attend in person followed the sessions remotely — on average, more than 100 employees from around the world joined the live broadcasts each day.

The strategic session was held in the format of presentations and professional discussions. Participants shared their experience of working with financial institutions in different countries, discussed market trends, and explored practical aspects of business and technology development.

Deputy Director for Commerce at BS/2, Nikolajs Žeļņins, noted that this format is of strategic importance for the entire international structure:
“Such strategic sessions provide a rare opportunity for colleagues from different countries not only to discuss business priorities, but also to develop a shared understanding of where the Group is heading. For commercial teams, it is particularly important to align approaches to markets, products and clients, see the bigger picture of development and strengthen cooperation between regions.”

Now in its third consecutive year, the strategic session remains one of the key formats enabling employees from different countries to meet in person, strengthen professional ties and develop a shared understanding of the Group’s priorities.

About the Strategic Session Programme

Over the five-day strategic session, 26 presentations and reports were delivered, covering four key thematic areas: Group strategy and business development; clients and regional case studies; products, platforms and AI solutions; as well as engineering, processes and project delivery.

The Chairman of the Penki Kontinentai Group, Idrakas Dadašovas, opened the strategic session and delivered five key presentations outlining the Group’s development strategy for the coming period, the updated product portfolio, and the architecture and logic of the entire iQ ecosystem of solutions.

A dedicated panel of regional offices became a significant part of the programme, during which teams presented their achievements for 2025, the results of market research and key projects. This format allowed colleagues from the headquarters to gain deeper insight into initiatives that they often interact with remotely in their day-to-day work.

The Director of BS/2 Kazakhstan, Azat Lyukhuzayev, highlighted the importance of the regional perspective and cross-country knowledge sharing:
“For our team in Kazakhstan, participation in the strategic session is an opportunity not only to share our own experience and results, but also to adopt best practices from colleagues in other countries. We see strong market demand for digital banking technologies and AI solutions, and such meetings help establish a unified development vector for the entire Group, while taking into account the specifics of each region.”

Dialogue Between Teams and Shared Priorities

On 28 January, a separate panel discussion for finance and HR teams was held at the Penki Kontinentai office. The meeting addressed issues related to improving operational efficiency, internal collaboration, and approaches to developing talent acquisition and retention strategies. The session was moderated by Lina Grigonytė, Head of the Human Resources Management Group.

The strategic session served as a platform for strengthening horizontal links between divisions and fostering more open dialogue within the Group. Following the discussions, participants emphasised the importance of cross-country knowledge exchange, which will help mitigate potential risks and apply proven approaches in future projects. The results presented by regional units reflected the scale of the work accomplished and the high level of team engagement.

Andrejs Volkovs noted that this format directly impacts the effectiveness of international cooperation:
“The strategic session once again confirmed that only through open dialogue, coordination between divisions and the exchange of best practices can we move faster and more effectively in international markets. It is important that all teams were involved in shaping the priorities for 2026.”

At the conclusion of the week, the next steps and key development priorities for 2026 were outlined, and the Group reaffirmed its commitment to continued close coordination between divisions across international markets.