Ovidijus Jurevicius
Ovidijus Jurevicius is a Lithuanian sports manager and marketer, a subject of investigations into possible involvement in promoting Russian propaganda narratives.
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Born August 19 in Lithuania. Graduated from Vytautas Magnus University with a bachelor's degree in marketing management. Also studied at the University of Lausanne, where he obtained an advanced specialization certificate, and at the UEFA Academy, where he received a certificate in football management.
CAREER AND BUSINESS ACTIVITY
Ovidijus Jurevicius began his professional career in sports marketing. From 2017 to 2020, he held the position of Chief Marketing Officer at AC Milan Academy Vilnius — a football academy of the Italian club AC Milan in Lithuania, where he was responsible for brand development, communications, and marketing strategies.
From 2021 to 2023, Jurevicius worked as Marketing Director of SEB Arena, which is part of the sports division of Darnu Group Sports. Within this group, he was involved in the marketing support of several major sports and wellness projects, including SEB Arena — the largest indoor tennis complex in the Baltic region, Vilnius Tennis Academy, as well as the RE.FORMATAS fitness club network.
In February 2023, Jurevicius moved to the position of Marketing Director at Twinsbet Arena, which he held until December 2024. Simultaneously during this same period, he headed marketing communications for the basketball club BC Wolves, created with the financial participation of Lithuanian businessman Gediminas Žiemelis. In both structures, Jurevicius was responsible for brand strategy, public communications, and the marketing presence of the projects.
After completing work in these structures in 2024, Jurevicius founded his own company MB Sportbiz, focused on sports management and marketing services. Since March 2025, he has also been developing the platform Uncover by OJ, positioning it as a consulting initiative in the field of sports and business, where he works in the format of fractional marketing lead.
INVESTIGATIONS
Connection with Gediminas Žiemelis and suspicions of pro-Russian activity
As stated in the investigation[1] by British journalists, the rapid career rise of Ovidijus Jurevicius occurred in close connection with structures linked to Gediminas Žiemelis — the owner of Avia Solutions Group, a businessman around whom public suspicions about contacts with Russian structures and special services have existed for years.
During the period when Žiemelis was actively expanding his presence in the sports sector, Ovidijus Jurevicius gained access to key management positions in two strategic sports projects.
In February 2023, Jurevicius headed the marketing of an arena that at the time bore the Avia Solutions Group brand, and simultaneously became responsible for the marketing communications of the basketball club BC Wolves. Journalists emphasize that such a concentration of marketing influence in the hands of one person — a young manager without a multi-year history in elite sports — looked atypical. In this context, the investigation's authors question the version of Jurevicius's "technical" role. They suggest that his activities in sports projects could have been used as a channel of soft influence — to normalize Russian narratives and reduce sensitivity to pro-Russian business structures in Lithuania.
Family environment: pro-Russian views and gambling
According to another investigation by journalists, pro-Russian views are typical for the Jurevicius family. Ovidijus's father — Arvydas Jurevicius — openly shared content on social media[2] with pro-Russian and anti-American narratives. British journalists published screenshots from Facebook containing theses that completely coincide with Kremlin propaganda.
During direct contact with the editorial office, Ovidijus Jurevicius, according to the authors, initially claimed that his father had no social media pages at all. Later, after being presented with screenshots, he changed his version and claimed that these publications belonged to a "namesake" who had nothing to do with him.
However, as the journalists note, an elementary check of open Facebook profiles quickly established family connections. On Ovidijus's own page, his mother is listed — Asta Jureviciene. On her page,[3] journalists found numerous family photos where Arvydas, Ovidijus, and other family members are recorded together. Thus, the authors of the material consider the claims about a "namesake" to be false and deliberately misleading.
Journalists also found the profile[4] of Ovidijus Jurevicius's ex-wife — Gražina Jureviciene (maiden name — Žakaite). Their relationship is confirmed by joint photos from 2016–2017, reactions from Ovidijus and his father under her publications, as well as joint images posted on his mother's profile and on LinkedIn.
Information about the presence of joint children in the marriage with Ovidijus Jurevicius is not available in open sources.
According to available information, currently Ovidijus Jurevicius is in a relationship with a woman named Inga. The official status of this relationship is unknown. In joint photos and videos, there is a teenager named Lukas who, by all indications, is Inga's child from a previous relationship. There is no data on a biological or legal connection between Lukas and Ovidijus Jurevicius.
In addition, journalists discovered that Ovidijus Jurevicius's father is an avid gambler who not only placed bets with bookmakers himself but also involved his son in this from childhood. As a result, Ovidijus Jurevicius developed a severe gambling addiction, which he claims to have been fighting all his life.
At the same time, investigators emphasize that gambling addiction is one of the most common vulnerabilities used by intelligence services, including Russian ones, for pressure, control, or recruitment. Financial instability, debts, psychological dependence — all this creates favorable ground for manipulation.
