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Žygimantas Surintas, Kilo Health
"We started and will end this year as two completely different organizations," he says. Kilo Health CEO believes that to be successful a company, you have to be able to change and evolve. This can also be applied to him as a person and a leader. Before deciding to pivot his career to the tech sector, Žygimantas worked in diverse industries, ranging from real estate to sports and betting to aviation where he spent almost eight years. Most recently the director and board member of SmartLynx Airlines, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group.
At Kilo Health he replaced Tadas Burgaila, who held the position of CEO up until recently, and now took over the management of the company's development and continues to hold the position of board chairman. Meanwhile, Žygimantas is now responsible for group management, product development, and investments.
"Today I have a bunch of exciting responsibilities, I am surrounded by excellent people, and I continue my adventures in a borderless world of global business. Could I still make use of opportunities offered in aviation? Yes. Do I miss this stage of my life? Very much so. Am I planning my return? No. I see my future in tech," says Žygimantas, who agreed to share an exclusive look at the behind-the-scenes of recent changes in Kilo Health, as well as the company's plans for the near future.
– What is on Kilo Health's current agenda? How were these last six months for you personally?
– Kilo Health is currently transforming. At the moment we are focused on creating an effective operating model designed specifically for us. I don't believe that any such models exist in the market. Kilo Health has a unique identity, so we're looking for a middle ground between creative freedom and organized results. During the pandemic and the first post-pandemic years, our growth was exponential. This was achieved only with our internal resources, because Kilo Health never focused on attracting any external funding. However, recently we faced a slowdown. Our costs rose significantly while revenues did not increase. Some people longed for the good old days of Kilo Health and hoped for their return. For others, it was painfully obvious that change was needed. I joined the company when it became quite clear that both groups were right. I believe it's time to get over our “past successes hangover”, and focus on effectively utilizing all the boundless potential that I see in the company.
– Indeed, after record-setting 2022, in 2023 Kilo Health's revenue growth slowed. It seems that upon joining, you immediately started working on increasing efficiency and bettering the management of processes and resources. What were your first steps towards this goal?
– I'm not a miracle worker, but recent months have shown that the decisions we made were correct. Tadas and I divided our responsibilities very clearly. Tadas is more of a visionary and has many unique ideas that drive the company forward. He is a unique leader with a fast mind. He currently mainly focuses on developing new markets and projects. Meanwhile, I mainly pay attention to improving our current business model, furthering our growth, and increasing revenues.
I am very proud and happy that we were able to find and promote 4 new managers internally. This shows clearly that there are truly strong professionals in the Kilo Health team. They are great, proactive people. Some of them are just 25 years old and full of energy and ideas on what we can do better. Of course, the development of a new management team is not a straightforward process. We all grow and learn together. I would be lying to say that I already fully understand how Kilo Health works. Truth be told, I learn something new every day.
I am also glad that after some difficult decisions, things started to brighten, moods are much more positive. We won't see if the changes we implemented worked until next year, but finally, all the shareholders, the board, and the managerial team agree on the direction we're heading.
I would advise everyone who is in a situation when something clearly isn't working to stop blaming everyone else around and bring people back on the same page. You must start sharing daily updates on how you're doing today and how you did yesterday. I remember one particular discussion about our finances during which I've heard 5 different numbers 5 different times. I then asked the manager to write them down on the board. This was the start of the end of the analytics system issues, which allowed us to finally understand where we really are. Third, you must be quick with your decision-making. You must find ways not just to save, but to raise profitability. A good accountant can reduce operational costs, but we aim for revenue growth. I am happy to say that it's gradually returning, although certainly not all the decisions we had to make in order to achieve this were pleasant.
The worst thing that can happen to you, to your business, is stagnation, when you're no longer able to create something new, and don't see opportunities to innovate and improve.
– Among these uncomfortable was saying goodbye to part of the team and significant change in the managerial team. What are your principles for identifying and keeping good managers?
– I always ask candidates the very same question: "What is leadership to you?" I believe in teamwork. I believe that strong teams should consist of different people with diverse character traits. I like teams that are composed of distinct personalities. Each person has a function they must bring to the organization. For example, I say that the company CEO and CFO must always be in conflict. We simply cannot be friends, because my job is to be the person who leads the business forward and is a positive force, while the CFO's job is to point out 19 reasons why I should not do something. This recent time period wasn't easy, but throughout it, we remained open and sincere. This was what attracted those who actually wanted to work with us. Today we continue hiring. Kilo Health is hungry for expertise from other businesses, markets, and products.
– You joined Kilo Health with 16 years of management experience, after successfully building a career in the airline industry. What did your career path look like before Kilo Health?
– I've tried many different jobs, in different fields, with different people. Journalism, real estate, gambling industry, sports, e-commerce, and finally – aviation. In terms of skills, my strength has always been sales and monetization. However, my growth was possible only because of the people I've encountered. The people who helped, advised, and taught me. Looking back now, the toughest lessons were the most valuable to me.
– You worked in aviation for more than 8 years. Why?
– To be honest, I entered the aviation field by chance. I remember receiving an offer I couldn't refuse and having 24 hours to give my final answer. The aviation sector is unique. During the 8 years I worked in it, I never regretted making that decision. The world of aviation has no borders, no limits. There are no office walls, and no working hours – you work across different continents, time zones, cultures, legal systems, and so on. For me, it remains the most fascinating industry in the world. However, it's not for everyone. In aviation, there are many details you simply can't control, and the stress factor is enormous. Just consider the cost of one single mistake. In aviation safety is the top priority, so attention to detail is necessary.
– You worked directly with Gediminas Žiemelis. What was that experience like?
– Gediminas was my mentor. He believed in me, and I really appreciate that. Working together was incredibly difficult, but the lessons I received were extraordinarily profound. He is a person of global ambitions who taught me a lot, and I'm forever grateful to him.
– Why did you decide to continue your career with Kilo Health specifically?
– I'll start by saying that I left aviation not because of Kilo Health. But Tadas came to me so fast with the offer that I didn't even have the time to think about what to do next. We've known each other since we were 18 and he's one of my very best friends. We've already had some very successful projects together. And some very unsuccessful ones as well! We have very similar values. What starts off as a joke, for us very often becomes a reality.
I project my life in 5-year periods. I loved aviation, but as I said, it's a very demanding sector. When my son was born recently, I realized I no longer wanted to travel so much because my family is my priority. To be successful in aviation, you need to spend at least 50% of the year in the air, and I simply didn't want that. Plus, I felt that I already exhausted all my growth opportunities as a hired manager. I'm a man of my word, so I fulfilled my commitments – I completed my 5-year cycle and started a new chapter.
– You shared one of your core principles – keeping your word. What other principles do you follow both in life and work?
– Sharing. One must never assume they're the smartest person in the room. In fact, you should avoid such rooms. Have a goal that is higher than your current possibilities. If you set an ambitious goal and ultimately fulfill 70% of it, that's still great. Lastly, never stop. The worst thing that can happen to you, to your business, is stagnation, when you're no longer able to create something new, and don't see opportunities to innovate and improve.
– I've read an interview, where you said that good business leaders are not born. You become one. What helped you to become one?
– The environment that surrounded me, the challenges I've faced, the goals I've raised for myself, and the awareness I've had. A strong leader, first and foremost, must be sensible. If that's lacking, their leadership will likely be full of foolishness. Some people learn best from people, others from books or historical personalities. However, in every case, the environment that surrounds you or that you choose to surround yourself with is critically important. The worst thing you can do is to surround yourself with weak people and position yourself as their leader. That's not leadership, it's just ego-stroking. True leadership means being with ambitious people who seek ambitious goals and complement each other. I often ask myself what decision this or that person would make in the situations I face. Good leaders inspire other leaders.
– You came to the technology sector from aviation, so you probably have a unique perspective. What advice would you give to new startup founders? What's most important in this business?
– I risk being unpopular, but my position is similar to Rokas Medonis's (CarVertical CEO) whose post went viral on social networks not that long ago. It perfectly reflects the reality of many companies. In startups, you can clearly see two employee camps. The first one is interested in growing the business towards new heights, in creating something, changing something. Meanwhile, the second one is simply enjoying what others have created.
Startups were definitely a new environment for me. For the first time in my career, I had to think about such issues as discussing additional benefits we can offer employees to make them want to come to work. However, I feel that satisfaction metrics like eNPS simply cannot be more important than business results. Yes, a startup can't exist without ambition and vision, but in life, you need to find a middle ground between ambition and reality.
Even before starting to work in the technology sector, I heard that the Baltic countries are the "New Nordics". Unfortunately, this was not meant in a good way. Without our resourcefulness, hard work, and speed, we don't have much else to offer. And when you have too few people on your team who are hungry for success, it becomes a serious problem for your business.
– How can we make Lithuania the best country for unicorns to grow?
– We must find a way to bring in more high-added-value talent and create an environment that is comfortable for them to work and live in. The tax system must be competitive because, in reality, we don't want to become "New Nordics". If our goal is to be a high-added-value technology country, politicians in Lithuania should initiate cost-benefit analyses of how their actions affect us. For example, progressive taxes. What effect they would have on both businesses and the overall development of our country? In my view, this would be a step that would hinder the development of high-added-value technological companies and could likely become a reason for relocating headquarters away from Lithuania.
– What would be your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? What are the main short-term and long-term trends in the technology business environment in 2025?
– Today the market prioritizes easily understandable products. Products that have only 1 function and address only 1 desire are more successful than those with countless functions. At the same time, we have a unique opportunity to jump on the artificial intelligence (AI) train – to create something really special, that does not simply optimize processes or reuse and reshuffle other people's work. During this transformation, it will be essential for the team to believe in what they're doing, where they're going, and what they want to do.
– And what are the most important goals for Kilo Health?
– We split our goals into short-term, medium-term, and long-term. The main short-term goal is to change the model of how we manage the business. We already see the first results of what strong managers can do, and focus on improving our strategic discipline – how to do less, but more quality work. The medium-term goal is to learn how to work more efficiently and faster than our competitors. Right now we're too dependent on seasonality. There is too much focus on the second day of Christmas or the first week of January, when many of us, including me, start trying to live healthier. The USA will remain our primary market, but we're already testing expansion into other countries, and this has proven successful.
Finally, the long-term goal is to expand our product and service lineup, to solve the main consumer problems. Currently, we actively sell 15 products, with the goal that half of them will be digital, and half physical. We also want to create the best possible environment for talented people to realize their full potential. This is both mine and Tadas's primary goal.
– When will Kilo Health become a unicorn?
– True unicorns today are companies that grow with a sense of stability and discipline, who are not afraid to break established norms, form new value propositions, and show that they can actually make money, not just rely on theoretical financial projections. Kilo Health's goal is not to become a unicorn but to break new heights. I promise we'll do just that. Just give us a little time.
