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Growth CEO Interviews

Interview with Kem Krest CEO, Amish Shah

February 15, 2024

In this con­ver­sa­tion, Kevin sits down with Amish Shah of Kem Krest — a fam­i­ly-owned sup­ply chain part­ner that’s been qui­et­ly pow­er­ing the auto­mo­tive and motor­sports world since 1979.

Kem Krest’s mis­sion is sim­ple: make the sup­ply chain feel like the ​“easy but­ton” for OEMs and their deal­er­ship net­works. But the sto­ry here isn’t just about what they do, it’s about what hap­pens when a busi­ness that’s grown fast for years hits a tough patch… and the CEO has to make real deci­sions to get unstuck.

Amish shares what it looked like to nav­i­gate a mul­ti-year slow­down, why ​“green met­rics” can still hide a bro­ken bal­ance sheet, and the two big moves that changed every­thing: rebuild­ing an entire exec­u­tive team (on pur­pose, and in sequence) and sim­pli­fy­ing strat­e­gy down to what actu­al­ly dri­ves the eco­nom­ic engine. The result: their best year ever — includ­ing cut­ting inven­to­ry near­ly in half and reclaim­ing focus, momen­tum, and confidence.

Here are some high­lights cap­tured in clips:

First Who, Then What?
Chief Prob­lem Solver
Peo­ple, Strat­e­gy & Numbers
Ask­ing for Help
Or watch the full inter­view here:
Addi­tion­al Resources Relat­ed to the Interview:

About Lawrence & Co.
Lawrence & Co. is a growth strategy and leadership advisory firm that helps mid-market companies achieve lasting, reliable growth. Our Growth Management System turns 30 years of experience into practical steps that drive clarity, alignment, and performance—so leaders can grow faster, with less friction, and greater confidence.

About Kevin Lawrence
Kevin Lawrence has spent three decades helping companies scale from tens of millions to hundreds of millions in revenue. He works side-by-side with CEOs and leadership teams across North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Europe, bringing real-world insights from hands-on experience. Kevin is the author of Your Oxygen Mask First, a book of 17 habits to help high-performing leaders grow sustainably while protecting their mental health and resilience. He also contributed to Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0). Based in Vancouver, he leads Lawrence & Co, a boutique firm of growth advisors.