On November 6th, 2025, during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Mastercard's presence in Poland, the company's management announced its decision to further expand its operations in Poland. This is an important step on the way to strengthening Mastercard's presence in our country and the development of the financial sector and business services. It is also a testament to trust and long-term partnership.

New hubs in PolandMastercard focused on development in two key locations in Poland: Warsaw and Gdańsk. Each of the cenres will have a slightly different role.
The hub in Warsaw will deal with strategic consulting, data analysis, marketing and market research. It is here that broadly understood professional services will be provided, supporting Mastercard customers on many levels.
The Hub in Gdańsk will become a centre of technological and financial innovation. The teams will work on modern solutions in the area of fintech and open banking, using advanced digital technologies.
Over 100 people are currently employed in both locations, and by the end of 2028 it is planned to increase employment to over 300 people in highly specialized positions.
The two centres will work closely together, combining analytical, advisory and technological expertise. Thanks to this, Mastercard will be able to effectively develop its offer in Central and Eastern Europe, and Poland will strengthen its position as an attractive place for innovative investments.

89 companies have been Short-Listed for the 14th annual CEE Business Services Awards, set for 25-26 February, 2026 in Warsaw.

The Awards Gala is preceded by 2-days CEE Business Services Summit, with key topics such GBS Transformation, AI-applied to GBS processes, a Geopolitical overview of the CEE/Baltics region, and 10+ Showcase Presentations, diving deep into select GBS centres and their processes: Agenda on 25 February and Agenday on 26 February.

The following companies have been short-listed, with the final vote to be 25 February, at the VIP Jury Dinner. Also during the Summit days, all attending Guests will be able to vote on the Nominees. The Jury vote is weighted 2/3 and the Popular Vote during the Summit is 1/3 weighting:


Best City: “After-Care Investor Services”:
City of Riga
City of Vilnius
City of Katowice

Best University-Business Cooperation of the Year:
Debrecen Business Service Centers
Körber Hungária Gépgyártó Kft.
MSC Shared Service Center Riga
Rocket Software Lithuania, UAB
PwC Service Delivery Center
Capita
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
IBM International Services Centre s.r.o.
Cognizant Technology Solutions Lithuania
Western Union

Business Centre Director – GBS – CEE:
Atea Global Services
MSC Shared Service Center Riga
ORLEN Centrum Usług Korporacyjnych

Business Centre Director – GBS – Poland:
DSV - Global Transport and Logistics
ISS
Sterling

Emerging City of the Year:
City of Riga
City of Kaunas
City of Katowice

Most Vibrant Employer: 
Accedia
Elevate Change
TATA Consultancy Services Hungary Branch Office
Trivium Packaging BSC, Europe
Atea Global Services
GoCardless
MSC Shared Service Center Riga
Cencora / World Courier Lithuania
Devoteam Lithuania
Gurtam
LITIT
Nasdaq
Sterling
GSD Solutions
Holcim European Business Services
Lenovo (Slovakia) s.r.o.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)
Sanofi
Zabka

Most-promising New-entrant “Business Services” Investor:
Epta International Kft.
Janus Henderson
Norse Atlantic Airways
DANONE

Top AI Application or Implementation Project of the Year (3 Winners in this category):
IBM International Services Centre
Stefanini Group
Tesco Business Solutions
Roche Services & Solutions EMEA (Riga & Budapest)
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
IBA Group
Randstad Enterprise
Process Solutions Kft.
Atea Global Services
Holcim European Business Services
Accedia
Elevate Change
Devoteam
Gurtam

Top CSR Initiative - CEE/Baltics:
IBM
EPAM Systems Inc.
Epta International Kft.
Randstad Enterprise
Cencora / World Courier Lithuania
Citco Lithuania
Dexcom Lithuania
Johnson Matthey Global Business Services Lithuania
EPAM Systems Lithuania
Booking Holdings Romania
IBM Romania
Holcim European Business Services

Top CSR Initiative - CEE/Baltics:
DANONE
EY Global Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o
HEINEKEN Global Shared Services
IBM Romania
ORLEN Centrum Usług Korporacyjnych
Philips Capability Center Łódź
PwC Service Delivery Center
Sii Poland
Capita
Western Union

Top Employer Branding Initiative:
Lexmark Budapest Competence Center
Rocket Software Lithuania, UAB
Alcon

Top GBS Transformation Initiative of the Year -  CEE/Baltics:
Elevate Change
Cencora / World Courier Lithuania
Dexcom
Johnson Matthey
Cognizant Technology Solutions Lithuania
Western Union

Top GBS Transformation Initiative of the Year -  Poland:
Adaptive Group
DANONE
ORLEN Centrum Usług Korporacyjnych
Rockwell Automation
Plus8Soft
Zabka Polska

Top IT Outsourcing Services Partner in CEE:
Accedia
ITELENCE
Stefanini Group

Japanese tech company Epson has announced a €6 million investment in Riga, Latvia, opening a new European Business Services (EBS) centre that will handle non-customer-facing shared services for Epson across Europe. The project is expected to create around 150 jobs, with the office planned to open next April (per city/government commentary).  To reinforce Epson’s commitment to local investment, Epson will be working with Riga based recruitment agency, Grafton, during the hiring process.
Rob Clark, Chief Operation Officer (COO) of Epson Europe, met with Latvian Prime Minister, Ms Evika Siliņa, during the decision-making process and the government’s strong support for businesses was also a key contributor to the final decision.
Evika Silina says, "After discussions with the management team of Epson, I was convinced that Latvia offers exactly what is important for such a global company, a stable and development-oriented business environment. Latvian talent, digital environment and attractive tax policy make us a strategically good choice. The company's decision to invest in Latvia is a benefit, not only for the capital city, but for the entire country. Such investments strengthen our economy, create quality jobs and help grow export-capable services. The more global companies choosing Latvia, the safer and more competitive our country's future becomes.”
Mayor of Riga, Mr Viesturs Kleinbergs adds, “The Global Business Services sector (GBS) in Riga is growing and gaining impressive momentum. World-class companies, such as Epson, are choosing Riga as an integral part of their European and global networks. The presence of such companies clearly demonstrates that Riga can offer professional talent, high-quality infrastructure and a stable, predictable environment for long-term growth.
“Epson, alongside other strong players, will continue contributing to the positive business environment in Riga by enabling the building of more office buildings and creation of a modern work culture - reaching the highest of international standards. This development creates new jobs, attracts highly qualified specialists and fosters an innovation ecosystem, making Riga an increasingly visible and significant point on the European GBS map. We will continue to work to strengthen this potential further and make Riga the first choice for global companies.”
Rob Clark says of the news, “Epson is committed to cementing a long-term presence in Riga, investing in the local economy and importantly, supporting talented people. Our new office is designed with collaboration, diversity, equality and progression at the centre, creating an environment where every team member can thrive.
“Although Epson is best known for pioneering sustainable print technology, Epson innovations extend far beyond. Our technology empowers immersive entertainment experiences like Cirque du Soleil, drives sustainability in the fashion industry and supports dynamic learning in modern classrooms. In manufacturing, our robotic solutions are paving the way, while our breakthroughs in sustainable materials include helping to develop a plant-based substitute for plastic used in packaging. You can even find Epson technology advancing research in space.

The fully-updated new edition of CEE Business Services Directory is now available (15 January 2026).

The Directory is the most-comprehensive Listing of GBS/Shared Services Centres located in the CEE/Baltics region, with more than 1500 GBSs listed.

Advanced purchase reservations can be made via the payment link below.

Our CEE BSC Directory has more than 1,500 GBS/BSCs listed from across CEE.  We have produced – once again - the most-comprehensive listing of companies in the Business Services sector across the entire region of Central Eastern Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Methodologies and processes for the Directory Listings:
We update the data continuously during the year in our internal databases.

We'd like to give a big thanks to all of the Cities and Investment Agencies from across the Central Eastern Europe region, who have been wonderfully-helpful with data for our listings, including HIPA/Hungary, CzechInvest, SARIO, Invest Lithuania, LIAA (Latvia), and Inward investment teams from more than 15 cities this year.
If you'd like to view the full Directory online, please see it on Issuu (free).

2 Options to buy the Directory (and receive 4 quarterly updates during the year):
1) One-off Purchase of 2026 Directory: If you'd like to buy a PDF copy of the 2026 Directory, cost is 590 euro. 
2) Subscribe to "Quarterly-Updated Directory": We update the Directory, every quarter, with new editions coming out in the first weeks of: April, July, October 2026, and January 2027. Each quarter, we fully review and update 5 cities, so during the course of one year, 20 Cities are fully-updated.
To subscribe to our "Quarterly-Updated Directory", cost is 1780 euro.  

To purchase PDF (and print) version of the Directory, see 2 options here.

Proton, a Swiss privacy-focused technology company, is expanding its software engineering operations in Lithuania as part of its broader global development strategy. The Vilnius office, established in 2019, currently employs around 20 specialists and acts as a regional R&D hub integrated into Proton’s global product teams.  
Proton was founded in 2014 by a team of scientists who met at CERN. Guided by the belief that privacy is a fundamental human right, the company has grown into a global provider of secure, open-source services with more than 100 million accounts across 180+ countries. Its products include Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Calendar, Proton Pass, Proton Authenticator, and Proton Wallet. The company’s users range from privacy-conscious individuals to journalists, activists, NGOs in high-risk environments and privacy-first businesses. 
Proton selected Vilnius for expansion due to its high-quality engineering talent, strong university programmes in computer science and cybersecurity, and a mature technology ecosystem. According to Beatriz Dominguez, VP People at Proton, Lithuania also offers favourable conditions for privacy-first innovation, supported by government incentives and strong connectivity to European data infrastructure. 

"Our Vilnius office plays an important role as a regional R&D hub contributing to Proton’s core services, not back-office functions. With the market now fully activated for hiring, we are excited to expand our team and strengthen our presence within the local tech community", said Beatriz Dominguez, VP People at Proton.

As reported in late December 2025, Global asset manager Janus Henderson is establishing its new business service center (BSC) in Budapest.

The London-based company, which manages almost $500 billion in assets, will create 400 jobs in Budapest. The new center will be Janus Henderson's largest European office and the third globally.

In the initial period, the Budapest office will mainly deal with operations directly supporting investment activities, the role of which will be continuously expanded with high value-added functions such as risk management, data analysis and legal compliance monitoring.

Budapest will thus be enriched not only with a new operational center, but also with a complex BSC covering a number of professional areas, which will offer outstanding career opportunities to Hungarian professionals.
Supported by the HIPA Hungarian Investmet Promotion Agency, the company will also launch a HUF 1.6 billion training program for the training of future investment and financial professionals.

Janus Henderson has been in business for 90 years, with 25 offices worldwide and over 2,500 employees. Its services are used by more than 60 million people.