Kirovs
Lipmans

Kirovs Lipmans, born on November 5, 1940, is a prominent Latvian businessman and former ice hockey executive. He served as president of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation from 1994 to 1995 and again from 1998 to 2016. He also held positions on the Latvian Olympic Committee executive and various International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) committees. During his tenure, he expanded Latvia’s artificial ice hockey rinks from three to seventeen and helped the Latvian men’s national team reach the top tier of the World Championships and participate in four consecutive Olympic tournaments. Lipmans also played a key role in the construction of Arena Riga for the 2006 IIHF World Championship and was instrumental in securing co-hosting rights for Latvia for the 2021 IIHF World Championship.

Originally from Liepāja, Lipmans graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Railway and Transport Engineering and the University of Latvia, and worked as an economist. Since becoming chairman of the council at Grindeks in 2003, he has overseen a significant rise in profits, from €10 million in 2005 to €187 million in 2021. He also led the construction of new production facilities and laboratories, transforming Grindeks into a global company that exports 90% of its products. For his contributions to Latvia, Lipmans was made an Officer of the Order of the Three Stars, and the IIHF honored him with the Paul Loicq Award for his contributions to international ice hockey.