Eco Baltia AI Transformation / Growth Academy 2025

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn in July 2025

Imagine you are a CEO of large company group. You are excited about AI and use it every chance you get, for personal productivity gains. BUT, what do you do to get the ball rolling to begin transforming your sprawling group of companies? You know the global statistics that between 70-80% of top companies have begun some flavour of AI transformation, but only 1-4% believe their use-cases are mature (McKinsey, BCG etc.)

This is where myself and Edvins Elferts came in.

Maris Simanovics, yes it was him, took the AI transformation of the company (actually group of companies) really seriously. We met last year at the Rīgas Ekonomikas augstskola – Stockholm School of Economics in Riga course on Technology for Executives and AI and Maris Simanovics decided to trust us to bring the AI transformation know-how in-house.

Together we designed an AI Transformation Project for Eco Baltia group of companies exactly like it should be – by the book:
– with high level / cross-functional MI task-force of senior executives of the group companies
– extensive AI transformation training programme for a group of managers and specialists from ECO BALTIA VIDE, ITERUM and Latvijas Zaļais Punkts, built on the pilot project methodology (analytical, prototyping and pilot phases), internally dubbed “Izaugsmes akadēmija” i.e. “Growth Academy”
– development of AI pilot use-cases in manufacturing, operations, HR, marketing and other functions of the group in parallel to the “Growth Academy” with support from internal sponsors and monthly mentoring sessions with Edvins Elferts and myself.

This Tuesday, July the 1st we had the Graduation Day for the Growth Academy and Awards Ceremony for the best projects. After 6 training days, working on 10 pilot projects, having multiple MI Taskforce meetings, 39 mentoring sessions in the space of 6 months it was time to celebrate and, yes, we did dress up a little ;).

The list of thank you’s is long: Maris Simanovics, Jolanta Jansone, Julija Zandersone, Santa Spūle, Sigita Namatēva, Jānis Aizbalts, Andris Ziemelis, Andris Ābele, Pauls Lukss, Armands Utinans, Zigmars Brants, other group executives, all the graduates, as well as their sponsors within the organisation and many others.

In particular, I’d like to mention the members of the 2 best pilot-project teams – Liene Lagutkina, Kate Lase, Vika Markava, as well as both Renārs S – Renars Straupe and Renārs Skuja, it was a proud moment for us and your shining faces in photos tell the story.

Special thanks to our dear friend Vasilijs Ragacevics for being the secret inspirational speaker during the graduation 🙏 .

If you decide to do AI transformation, you’d better do it right.