Scaling a Resilient Business: Leadership Lessons from Aquaculture
Building a resilient business is rarely about avoiding disruption. Itis about creating the systems, mindset and leadership capability to keep moving when conditions change.That is especially true in aquaculture, where long production cycles, biological risk, operational complexity and market uncertainty leave little room for weak execution.
CnetG’s global partner network, Kestria, recently explored this topic through a conversation between Iluta Gaile, Managing Director of Kestria Latvia, and Lauris Apsis, Founder and CEO of Zivs uz ledus. Their discussion reveals practical lessons on entrepreneurship, scalability, operational discipline, crisis leadership and international growth.
Scale Starts with a Clear Business Model
Lauris entered aquaculture without previous industry experience, but he had three clear criteria forthe business he wanted to build.It had to involve manufacturing, be export-oriented and be scalable. His goal was to create a model where, iftwo production units worked,ten could be built without major barriers to growth. This clarity helped shape the direction of Zivs uz ledus from the beginning.
Businesses should define scalability early.For leaders and investors,that means asking:
● Can the operating model be repeated?
● Can quality be maintained as volume increases?
● Can the business expand without excessive complexity?
● Is the model suitable for international markets?
A scalable business is not simply one that grows. Itis one that can grow withoutlosing control.
Resilience Is Built Through Continuous Adaptation
Zivs uz ledus launched in December 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The years thatfollowed broughtthe pandemic,the war in Ukraine, higher energy costs and wider economic uncertainty.
Lauris explains thatthe company spent years continuously adapting before conditions began to ease in the second half of 2025. The experience highlights an importantreality of leadership: resilience is not a one-time response to crisis.
Itis an ongoing ability to adjust operations, priorities and decisions as conditions changeOrganisations should build resilience into their operating model ratherthan treating it as a temporary crisis response.
That includes:
● Maintaining financial flexibility
● Building strong supplier and partner relationships
● Creating clear decision-making processes
● Developing teams that can respond quickly to disruption
● Preparing leaders to operate under uncertainty
Strong Systems Reduce Dependence on Individuals
One ofthe mostimportantleadership principles Lauris describes is consistency.From the beginning, he builtthe company around the idea thattasks should be completed according to a unified system, regardless of who performs them.
This approach helped the company reduce labour hours significantly over five years by eliminating unnecessary steps and improving efficiency.
Growth becomes difficult when performance depends too heavily on individual knowledge or informal processes.
To scale effectively, organisations need:
● Standard operating procedures
● Clear ownership
● Repeatable workflows
● Measurable performance standards
● Processes thatremain effective as teams expand
For SMEs in particular, systemisation is often the bridge between founder-led growth and sustainable organisational scale.
Crisis Leadership Requires Decisiveness
One ofthe earliest majortests for Zivs uz ledus came only two months afterthe farm opened.When the pandemic began,the company had around 40–50 tonnes of Arctic char in its tanks while market demand suddenly disappeared.
The response was immediate adaptation.
Lauris links this approach to his experience in the National Guard, where fast decision-making is essential. His view is that an imperfect decision can be corrected, while hesitation can create greater risk.
In uncertain environments, leadership is not about waiting for perfectinformation.Effective leaders need the confidence to:
● Make timely decisions
● Accept uncertainty
● Adjust quickly when new information emerges
● Keep teams focused during disruption
● Avoid paralysis caused by excessive analysis
This capability is increasingly importantin businesses facing volatile markets,technology shifts and geopolitical uncertainty.
Outsider Thinking Can Create Competitive Advantage
Entering a new industry without previous experience can appear risky. Lauris, however, found that being an outsider also had advantages.
Without being shaped by traditional industry assumptions, he noticed areas such as communication, branding, marketing and accountability to the end consumer that he felt had often been overlooked.
What this means:
Industry experience is valuable, but it can also reinforce established ways of thinking. Organisations may benefit from leaders who bring perspectives from other sectors, particularly when they are trying to innovate or transform.
When hiring senior talent, CnetG sees value in assessing not only direct sector experience but also whether a leader can:
● Challenge assumptions
● Transfer ideas across industries
● Identify overlooked customer needs
● Introduce stronger commercial disciplines
● Bring a fresh perspective to established markets
International Growth Requires Visibility and Relationships
From the beginning, Lauris participated in international events, conferences and workshops. His reasoning was simple: if the company remained inside the Latvian market without building relationships across the wider industry, potential export markets would never know it existed.
Later, when advising entrepreneurs interested in international expansion, he emphasised networking beyond one’s own sector and learning from people in differentindustries.
International growth depends on more than having an exportable product.Leaders need to build:
● Industry relationships
● Cross-border networks
● Market visibility
● Partnerships
● Knowledge of different customer and regulatory environments
For organisations preparing for international expansion, leadership teams must be comfortable operating beyond their local ecosystem.
Leadership Means Taking Responsibility for the Outcome
A recurring theme in Lauris’ approach is personal accountability. He explains that responsibility motivates him and that he wants customers to associate the product directly with his own reputation. Trustworthiness and delivering on promises are central to how he views leadership.
As organisations grow, leadership accountability becomes even more important. Strong leaders do not only delegate work. They remain accountable for:
● Quality
● Customer outcomes
● Team performance
● Strategic direction
● Reputation
For boards and business owners, this is an important quality to assess when appointing senior executives.
The Leadership Implication
The story of Zivs uz ledus shows thatresilient growth depends on more than ambition.It requires a combination of clear strategy, scalable systems, fast decision-making, accountability, operational discipline and international perspective.
For organisations building the next stage of growth,these capabilities should be considered not only in business strategy but also in leadership selection.CnetG works with organisations to identify leaders who can navigate complexity, scale businesses and lead through uncertainty. The strongest leaders are not simply those who have managed growth in stable conditions. They are those who can keep creating progress when conditions are difficult.
About CnetG and Kestria
CnetG Asia is part of Kestria, a global alliance of independent executive search and leadership consulting firms. Through CnetG’s market expertise and Kestria’s international network, organisations can access leadership talent capable of operating across industries, markets and complex business environments. Whether an organisation is expanding internationally, professionalising a founder-led business or strengthening its leadership pipeline, the priority is to identify executives who can combine strategic vision with strong execution.
If your organisation is preparing for its next stage of growth, speak to the team at CnetG. Together, we can help build the leadership capability required to scale with confidence.
Building a resilient business is rarely about avoiding disruption. Itis about creating the systems, mindset and leadership capability to keep moving when conditions change.That is especially true in aquaculture, where long production cycles, biological risk, operational complexity and market uncertainty leave little room for weak execution.
CnetG’s global partner network, Kestria, recently explored this topic through a conversation between Iluta Gaile, Managing Director of Kestria Latvia, and Lauris Apsis, Founder and CEO of Zivs uz ledus. Their discussion reveals practical lessons on entrepreneurship, scalability, operational discipline, crisis leadership and international growth.
Scale Starts with a Clear Business Model
Lauris entered aquaculture without previous industry experience, but he had three clear criteria forthe business he wanted to build.It had to involve manufacturing, be export-oriented and be scalable. His goal was to create a model where, iftwo production units worked,ten could be built without major barriers to growth. This clarity helped shape the direction of Zivs uz ledus from the beginning.
Businesses should define scalability early.For leaders and investors,that means asking:
● Can the operating model be repeated?
● Can quality be maintained as volume increases?
● Can the business expand without excessive complexity?
● Is the model suitable for international markets?
A scalable business is not simply one that grows. Itis one that can grow withoutlosing control.
Resilience Is Built Through Continuous Adaptation
Zivs uz ledus launched in December 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The years thatfollowed broughtthe pandemic,the war in Ukraine, higher energy costs and wider economic uncertainty.
Lauris explains thatthe company spent years continuously adapting before conditions began to ease in the second half of 2025. The experience highlights an importantreality of leadership: resilience is not a one-time response to crisis.
Itis an ongoing ability to adjust operations, priorities and decisions as conditions changeOrganisations should build resilience into their operating model ratherthan treating it as a temporary crisis response.
That includes:
● Maintaining financial flexibility
● Building strong supplier and partner relationships
● Creating clear decision-making processes
● Developing teams that can respond quickly to disruption
● Preparing leaders to operate under uncertainty
Strong Systems Reduce Dependence on Individuals
One ofthe mostimportantleadership principles Lauris describes is consistency.From the beginning, he builtthe company around the idea thattasks should be completed according to a unified system, regardless of who performs them.
This approach helped the company reduce labour hours significantly over five years by eliminating unnecessary steps and improving efficiency.
Growth becomes difficult when performance depends too heavily on individual knowledge or informal processes.
To scale effectively, organisations need:
● Standard operating procedures
● Clear ownership
● Repeatable workflows
● Measurable performance standards
● Processes thatremain effective as teams expand
For SMEs in particular, systemisation is often the bridge between founder-led growth and sustainable organisational scale.
Crisis Leadership Requires Decisiveness
One ofthe earliest majortests for Zivs uz ledus came only two months afterthe farm opened.When the pandemic began,the company had around 40–50 tonnes of Arctic char in its tanks while market demand suddenly disappeared.
The response was immediate adaptation.
Lauris links this approach to his experience in the National Guard, where fast decision-making is essential. His view is that an imperfect decision can be corrected, while hesitation can create greater risk.
In uncertain environments, leadership is not about waiting for perfectinformation.Effective leaders need the confidence to:
● Make timely decisions
● Accept uncertainty
● Adjust quickly when new information emerges
● Keep teams focused during disruption
● Avoid paralysis caused by excessive analysis
This capability is increasingly importantin businesses facing volatile markets,technology shifts and geopolitical uncertainty.
Outsider Thinking Can Create Competitive Advantage
Entering a new industry without previous experience can appear risky. Lauris, however, found that being an outsider also had advantages.
Without being shaped by traditional industry assumptions, he noticed areas such as communication, branding, marketing and accountability to the end consumer that he felt had often been overlooked.
What this means:
Industry experience is valuable, but it can also reinforce established ways of thinking. Organisations may benefit from leaders who bring perspectives from other sectors, particularly when they are trying to innovate or transform.
When hiring senior talent, CnetG sees value in assessing not only direct sector experience but also whether a leader can:
● Challenge assumptions
● Transfer ideas across industries
● Identify overlooked customer needs
● Introduce stronger commercial disciplines
● Bring a fresh perspective to established markets
International Growth Requires Visibility and Relationships
From the beginning, Lauris participated in international events, conferences and workshops. His reasoning was simple: if the company remained inside the Latvian market without building relationships across the wider industry, potential export markets would never know it existed.
Later, when advising entrepreneurs interested in international expansion, he emphasised networking beyond one’s own sector and learning from people in differentindustries.
International growth depends on more than having an exportable product.Leaders need to build:
● Industry relationships
● Cross-border networks
● Market visibility
● Partnerships
● Knowledge of different customer and regulatory environments
For organisations preparing for international expansion, leadership teams must be comfortable operating beyond their local ecosystem.
Leadership Means Taking Responsibility for the Outcome
A recurring theme in Lauris’ approach is personal accountability. He explains that responsibility motivates him and that he wants customers to associate the product directly with his own reputation. Trustworthiness and delivering on promises are central to how he views leadership.
As organisations grow, leadership accountability becomes even more important. Strong leaders do not only delegate work. They remain accountable for:
● Quality
● Customer outcomes
● Team performance
● Strategic direction
● Reputation
For boards and business owners, this is an important quality to assess when appointing senior executives.
The Leadership Implication
The story of Zivs uz ledus shows thatresilient growth depends on more than ambition.It requires a combination of clear strategy, scalable systems, fast decision-making, accountability, operational discipline and international perspective.
For organisations building the next stage of growth,these capabilities should be considered not only in business strategy but also in leadership selection.CnetG works with organisations to identify leaders who can navigate complexity, scale businesses and lead through uncertainty. The strongest leaders are not simply those who have managed growth in stable conditions. They are those who can keep creating progress when conditions are difficult.
About CnetG and Kestria
CnetG Asia is part of Kestria, a global alliance of independent executive search and leadership consulting firms. Through CnetG’s market expertise and Kestria’s international network, organisations can access leadership talent capable of operating across industries, markets and complex business environments. Whether an organisation is expanding internationally, professionalising a founder-led business or strengthening its leadership pipeline, the priority is to identify executives who can combine strategic vision with strong execution.
If your organisation is preparing for its next stage of growth, speak to the team at CnetG. Together, we can help build the leadership capability required to scale with confidence.