Inside MSC Shared Service Center Riga: global expertise, innovation and talent development.
Riga’s Global Business Services (GBS) sector continues to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s emerging business services destinations. An important part of this growth is the experience and development of international companies already operating in the city. In a new interview, Rodion Shiryayev, CIO Scandinavia and Baltic and Managing Director at MSC Shared Service Center Riga, shares how the centre has developed over more than 25 years into a recognised hub for professional business support across MSC’s global network.
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How would you describe the role of MSC Shared Service Centre Riga within MSC’s wider global organisation today?
MSC Shared Service Centre Riga plays an important role within MSC global organisation by combining a strong service mindset and a unique blend of business and technical expertise. The centre brings diverse capabilities in one location, enabling both smooth execution of day-to-day operations and the delivery of increasingly advanced, solution-oriented support.
By connecting global standards with practical local delivery, Riga supports seamless international collaboration while ensuring consistency and reliability across processes. What makes Riga especially valuable is its ability to integrate deep business understanding with technology-driven capabilities - allowing it not only to deliver services, but also to contribute to continuous improvement and innovation across MSC’s global operation.
This unique combination of expertise, together with a highly professional and adaptable talent base, positions MSC Shared Service Center Riga as a key enabler of a modern, globally connected organisation.
What are the latest achievements of MSC Shared Service Centre Riga in innovation, talent development, and cooperation with universities?
At MSC Shared Service Centre Riga, our recent focus has been on strengthening modern ways of working, developing talent, and building closer links with the local academic environment. We see innovation not only in technology and process improvement, but also in how we develop people, encourage collaboration, and prepare for future business needs.
Cooperation with universities is an important part of this approach, as it helps us engage with emerging talent, share practical insights, and contribute to the development of future professionals in Riga. In practice, this collaboration takes many forms — from delivering over 50 guest lectures annually across a wide range of topics, to organising hands-on workshops where students work on real-life business cases and apply theoretical knowledge in a practical context.
We also actively contribute to innovation-driven learning formats, such as dedicated hackathons on current business challenges, where students collaborate with MSC experts to develop solutions, as well as mentoring programmes and shadow days, giving students direct exposure to professional environments and career paths.
In addition, MSC supports the development of young talent through internships, scholarships, and involvement in academic research, by providing topics and guidance for course and diploma papers. This ecosystem helps bridge the gap between education and industry while strengthening the long-term talent pipeline.
Our recent achievements include the award “Best University-Business Cooperation – Baltics 2026” which reflects our ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between business and academia, nurture emerging talent, and contribute to the development of future professionals in Latvia.
Which functions and capabilities are concentrated in MSC Shared Service Centre Riga, and how do they support the wider MSC organisation globally?
MSC Shared Service Centre Riga brings together a broad range of specialist capabilities that support the wider organisation through structured, reliable, and high-quality service delivery. Over 25 years, the centre has developed into a recognised hub for professional remote business support across MSC’s global network.
The centre supports more than 30 functions, including Technology services, logistics, customer service, reporting and analytics, commercial support, legal, finance, as well as project management and corporate support functions such as HR and procurement. These capabilities support different parts of MSC’s global organisation, with each function serving a defined scope of countries and business needs.
By concentrating these capabilities in one location, MSC ensures consistency, efficiency, and standardisation across its global operations, while enabling close coordination between teams and markets. The Riga centre plays a key role in supporting a reliable and well-connected global operating model.
In recent years, the centre has continued to expand its service scope, introducing new capabilities such as global marketing support and strengthening CRM services, while further extending its international reach.
What advantages does Riga offer as a location for shared service centres, and what further development opportunities do you see for the local ecosystem?
Riga offers a highly skilled and adaptable talent base, an international mindset, and a mature GBS ecosystem. Combined with its excellent geographic location, direct connectivity to most European capitals, strong infrastructure, modern office environment, and supportive local authorities, this makes Riga an attractive destination for global business services.
With continued focus on talent, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration, Riga is well positioned to further strengthen its role as a centre for high-value global operations.
