As Aquiva Labs enters its 10th year, we are formalizing a leadership evolution that reflects both who we are and where we are headed.
Nikolai Balba, founder of Aquiva Labs, will transition into the role of Chief Technology Officer. Jay Keating, formerly Chief Operating Officer, will step into the role of Chief Executive Officer.
This realignment sharpens our focus. Jay will continue to lead the business with a focus on scale, operational clarity, and customer success. Nikolai will dedicate his energy to advancing our engineering organization, which remains our largest and most impactful delivery function and driving product-grade innovation rooted in real-world customer needs.
“This shift lets me go deeper with our engineers and product teams, especially as we double down on AI and emerging tech. I’m excited about spending more time inside the product and development process, and will continue partnering closely with our customers and teams as we explore what’s next.”
Jay brings three decades of experience in services leadership. His focus as CEO will remain on customer success, operational excellence, and building a strong, values-driven culture.
“This next chapter isn’t about change for the sake of change. It’s about aligning our focus to help our customers lead change. Nikolai’s deep technical vision and customer-centric mindset are exactly what our engineering teams need to stay ahead. I’ll continue driving toward operational excellence and value creation for our customers and partners.”
Together, Jay and Nikolai will continue to lead Aquiva Labs with a shared commitment to innovation, accountability, and outcomes. Their complementary focus ensures that both technology vision and execution stay deeply connected to the customer experience.
We’re not changing our mission; we’re reinforcing it with clarity, urgency, and a structure built for the future.
Author
Jacob Rouser
Head of Marketing
