Kęstutis Lipnickas - CEO and Managing Director, Strategy

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Zujūnai, Lithuania

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Experience

Jan 2020 - Present

6 years 8 months

Vilnius, Lithuania

Hybrid

Associate Partner

Leadership Management International, Inc.

Associate Partner of Leadership Management International Lithuania, contributing to selected leadership development and management effectiveness assignments
Work with business owners, executives and management teams using LMI methodologies and structured development programmes
Activity complements my executive, board and strategic advisory work

Jan 2020 - Jul 2026

6 years 7 months

On-site

CEO, Co-Founder & Board Member

Divaks UAB

Co-founded and led an industrial agrifood-tech and food manufacturing business from concept through commercialisation and preparation for industrial scale-up
Built and led a multidisciplinary organisation across product development, production, engineering, quality, sales, business development, finance and administration
Led product and manufacturing process development, pilot operations, outsourced production and international market entry
Led a three-year factory development programme resulting in a permitted full-scale factory project with planned investment of up to €67m
Contributed to investor engagement and funding processes resulting in more than €8m in investment and stakeholder funding
Developed commercial and partner networks across 14+ international markets

Aug 2015 - Nov 2018

3 years 4 months

Vilnius, Lithuania

On-site

CEO, Co-Founder, Head of Business Development

Dehidra JSC

Co-founded and led the development of a vertically integrated freeze-dried food manufacturing business from concept through pilot validation and preparation for industrial scale-up

Built and led a multidisciplinary team with responsibility across production, technical development, supply chain, sales and marketing
Built and commissioned a fully functional pilot facility integrating cultivation and processing, including freeze-drying technology
Designed and tested the end-to-end operating model covering cultivation, processing, packaging, logistics and shelf life
Evaluated production technologies and benchmarked European facilities to define the future process configuration and scale-up model
Developed the B2B market-entry approach, customer segmentation and a pipeline of 1,000+ potential partners and customers

Mar 2015 - Present

11 years 6 months

Vilnius, Lithuania

Independent Advisor | Strategy, Growth & Governance

K2L Consult

Support business owners, executives and investors with strategy, growth, governance, operating models and new business opportunities
Provide practical assessment, decision support and execution support across industrial B2B, food and related sectors
Advise on commercial growth, international development, organisational effectiveness and business transformation
Support management teams in translating strategy into actionable priorities and execution
Contribute to selected leadership development and management effectiveness assignments in partnership with Leadership Management International

Sep 2007 - Feb 2015

7 years 6 months

Vilnius, Lithuania

On-site

Sales and Marketing Director, Member of the Management Board with responsibility for commercial strategy and execution

Wavin Baltic UAB, Orbia group

Member of the management team of a 100+ employee manufacturing business, leading a 20+ person multi-country commercial organisation across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and adjacent markets
Held responsibility for commercial performance of a €20m+ technical B2B business, including sales, pricing, margins, budgets, market development and key accounts
Led regional business planning and performance reviews, aligning market priorities, project pipelines, product and capacity requirements and country-level execution
Worked cross-functionally with manufacturing, supply chain, product, quality and finance teams on availability, cost, quality and customer requirements
Managed organisational change during the 2009 Baltic market crisis, contributing to more than 40% regional sales growth from 2009 to 2012
Led the turnaround of the Kaliningrad business, delivering more than 200% growth over the same period
Developed new business across construction and infrastructure solutions and improved sales processes through CRM and structured pipeline management

Jul 2000 - Aug 2007

7 years 2 months

Vilnius, Lithuania

Managing Director

Santa Monica Networks UAB

Held full business responsibility for a €4m+ technical solutions and services company with 18 employees

Led strategy, sales, technical delivery, finance, logistics, service contracts, marketing and administration
Managed complex enterprise IT infrastructure, data communications and cybersecurity projects with global technology vendors including Cisco, Juniper Networks, HP and Trend Micro
Built and retained a high-performing technical and commercial team, maintaining employee retention above 80%
Developed a diversified base of recurring enterprise customers, contributing to more than 60% revenue growth between 2004 and 2006
Initiated and sponsored ISO 9001 implementation and preparation for ISO 27000 certification, strengthening process discipline, quality management and information security

Jan 1996 - Oct 2000

4 years 10 months

Vilnius, Lithuania

On-site

Country Manager

Instru Data UAB

Progressed from Sales Manager to Country Manager, leading a €4.6m value-added IT distribution business
Held responsibility for sales, vendor relationships, dealer channels, budgeting, finance, logistics and team development
Managed Baltic channel and vendor relationships with global technology brands including HP, IBM, Compaq, Toshiba and Tektronix
Developed and managed distributor and reseller networks across the market
Completed a short-term Country Manager assignment in Latvia, adding cross-border leadership experience

Jun 1994 - Nov 1995

1 year 6 months

Riga, Latvia

On-site

Commercial Director

Vasco Baltic SIA

Established and developed food & beverage import and distribution operations in Lithuania and Latvia
Recruited and managed local teams and built customer and sales-agent networks
Led commercial execution, market development and partner relationships for Italian consumer brands
Developed cross-border sales and distribution activities across the Baltic markets

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Information Technology, Construction, Professional Services, and Agriculture.

Manufacturing

Food and Beverage

Information Technology

Construction

Professional Services

Agriculture

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Operations, Strategy, Sales, Finance, Marketing, and Logistics.

Operations

Strategy

Sales

Finance

Marketing

Logistics

Summary

CEO / Managing Director and board-level advisor with 30+ years of leadership experience across manufacturing, engineering-led B2B, food & agrifood-tech, construction infrastructure, enterprise technology and international markets.

Proven in building and leading multidisciplinary organisations, developing strategy and operating models, and aligning commercial, operational, technical, financial and stakeholder priorities.

Most recently, I co-founded and led Divaks from concept through product development, commercialisation, international expansion and preparation for industrial scale-up. Earlier roles include CEO, Managing Director and senior commercial leadership positions in food, manufacturing, construction infrastructure and technology businesses.

Core strengths: general management & P&L, transformation, commercial growth, international expansion, industrialisation, governance and strategy-to-execution.

Currently open to CEO / Managing Director, interim executive, Board/NED and selected strategic advisory assignments.

Skills

General Management
P&L Management
Business Strategy
Business Transformation
Commercial Strategy
International Business Development
Sales Leadership
Operational Leadership
Manufacturing
Industrialisation
Organisational Development
Stakeholder Management
Board & Corporate Governance
Growth Strategy
Go-To-Market Strategy
Market Entry
Team Leadership
Change Management
Investor Relations
Fundraising
Strategic Partnerships
B2b
Food & Agrifood
Construction & Infrastructure
Technology / Enterprise It

Languages

Lithuanian

Native

English

Advanced

Russian

Advanced

German

Elementary

Spanish

Elementary

...and 3 more

Education

Oct 2002 - Jun 2004

Baltic Management Institute / Vytautas Magnus University

MBA, Executive MBA · Executive MBA · Vilnius, Lithuania

Mar 1994 - Jun 1996

Vilniaus Gedimino Technikos Universitetas

MBA · Engineering Economics & Management · Vilnius, Lithuania

Sep 1989 - Feb 1994

Vilnius Technical University

Engineer Economist · Construction Economics & Management · Vilnius, Lithuania

Certifications & licenses

Driver’s license

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 8

Experience in Manufacturing 19 y

Avg length 6 y 1 m

Longest experience 11 y 5 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 2 (Lithuania, Latvia)

Primary country Lithuania

Expertise

Recent roles Associate Partner, CEO, Co-Founder & Board Member, CEO, Co-Founder, Head of Business Development

Main industries Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Information Technology

Main business areas Operations, Strategy, Sales

Qualifications

Highest degree Master

Certifications earned 1

Profile

Created

January 2026

Last Update

August 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Kęstutis is based in Zujūnai, Lithuania and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

Kęstutis speaks the following languages: Lithuanian (Native), English (Advanced), Russian (Advanced), German (Elementary), Spanish (Elementary), Italian (Elementary), Latvian (Elementary), Polish (Elementary).

Kęstutis has at least 32 years of experience. During this time, Kęstutis has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 8 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 4 years. Note that Kęstutis may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Based on recent experience, Kęstutis would be well-suited for roles such as: Associate Partner, CEO, Co-Founder & Board Member, CEO, Co-Founder, Head of Business Development.

Kęstutis's most recent position is Associate Partner at Leadership Management International, Inc..

In recent years, Kęstutis has worked for Leadership Management International, Inc., Divaks UAB, and K2L Consult.

Kęstutis is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, and Information Technology. Kęstutis also has some experience in Construction, Professional Services, and Agriculture.

Kęstutis is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Strategy, and Sales. Kęstutis also has some experience in Finance, Marketing, and Logistics.

Kęstutis has recently worked in industries like Food and Beverage, Manufacturing, and Professional Services.

Kęstutis has recently worked in business areas like Strategy, Operations, and Sales.

Kęstutis holds a Master in Executive MBA from Baltic Management Institute / Vytautas Magnus University, a Master in Engineering Economics & Management from Vilniaus Gedimino Technikos Universitetas and a Bachelor in Construction Economics & Management from Vilnius Technical University.

Kęstutis has 1 certificate: Driver’s license.

Kęstutis is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.

Daily Rate Distribution

0 2 4 6 8

<€400 €400-800 €800-1200 €1200+

The rates shown represent the typical market range for freelancers in this position based on recent contracts on our platform.

Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.

Average rates for similar positions

Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.

800

600

400

200

Daily rate avg. 781 €

The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.

800

600

400

200

Median rate 668 €

The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.

Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.