Rūta Carik serves as the Vice-Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. Since July 2026, her responsibilities at the Ministry of Finance have included European Union investments, accountability and audit issues, asset valuation, and insolvency policy. She possesses extensive experience in public administration, project management, and the implementation of investments funded by the European Union. Prior to assuming her role as Vice-Minister, she worked at the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania, where she headed the Social Dialogue Division. She spent the majority of her professional career at the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA), where her responsibilities included administering EU-funded projects, advising beneficiaries, and analyzing and updating regulations. She is also a member of the Vilnius District Municipal Council. She holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Social Work from Mykolas Romeris University. She also studied accounting at Vilniaus kolegija and completed courses and modules at Ghent University and the University of Copenhagen.