AS someone who worked in Russia for the best part of two decades it is something of a surprise when Craig Anderson describes the Scottish Salmon Company as the most complex business he has ever been involved in.

Still with close to 500 staff spread across 60 locations, including in some of Scotland's most remote islands geographies, the logistics of running the company appear daunting before starting to think about areas such as topology, nutrition, meteorology and biology.

And that's before you even consider more typical functions such as sales and marketing, getting goods to market, exports, human resources, finance and its Norwegian Stock Exchange listing.

Sitting in his office in Edinburgh Mr Anderson describes the move to Scottish Salmon Company in August 2013 as a "chance opportunity" but one he quickly became deeply invested in. He said: "My wife said to me when I first got the opportunity 'Don't fall in love with the company' because she knows that I am all in.

"I said OK but then I did [fall in love]. You have to burn the candle at both ends and in the middle in this industry to learn and to study. Every day is different.

"I saw straight away the scope and the opportunities. It surprised me the size the company was as I wasn't expecting the salmon industry here to be quite so big and powerful."

While declining to go into specifics of the times when "it wasn't all roses" in Russia, Mr Anderson won't hear a bad word against the people there and points out the population of a country with 11 time zones can't be held responsible for every decision made at the top political levels.

Having initially gone to Moscow on a three-month trial basis to look into setting up a telecoms business he enjoyed his time so much that he stayed to have a ringside seat as Russia began to shrug off its communist past and embrace more western values.

He said: "The Russian people have a tenacity and willingness to learn and do business. I quickly fell in love and saw the opportunities."

On arrival he describes flagging down a car at Moscow Airport and doing a deal with the driver to get into town as there were no official taxis.

Another anecdote recalls there being no petrol stations and Mr Anderson said: "You would see tankers and cars lining up to fill up and everyone was smoking."

While there he was one of the founders of the St Andrews Society of Moscow, which helped to raise money for a number of different charities. Mr Anderson was also surprised that the poetry of Robert Burns is taught in the Russian education system. He said: "Burns is revered as a masterful, beautiful writer."

After time spent running firms in sectors including telecoms, property and leisure it was finally time for this fiercely proud Scot to move closer to home as he wanted his teenage daughter to complete her education in Scotland before going on to university.

He said: "The learning curve for me in Russia was wonderful. Just like any country in the world what you put in, is what you get out. You have no right to be successful.

"I was lucky enough to meet great people but I think us Scots are good at assimilating in foreign countries and understanding the customs and engaging and taking part.

"I think that makes us great travellers. From a business point of view I think we are quite canny and while not stubborn if we say no or yes then we go for it and stand by it in negotiations."

Even with no background in aquaculture Mr Anderson felt confident his career gave him the grounding and skills to come into the business and lead it effectively. He said: "The key issue is customer care. No matter what your product is if you can make your clients happy and they become friends then they will come back to you."

While there are video conference facilities at some of its sites Mr Anderson still attempts to get around Scotland meeting employees including doing an annual roadshow to answer questions. He said: "I tend to plan at least three months ahead to make it as efficient as possible. I plan my time with caution and make sure every minute is worthwhile.

"I like to give a presentation but I don't give facts and figures on slides or pie charts and 3D overheads in the background.

"I stand up and talk for about 40 to 45 minutes about the business. Where we are going, some of our achievements and the areas we want to work on and some of the areas we are raising money to invest in."

Mr Anderson stresses a need to be "pragmatic, realistic and honest" when dealing with people. He is also keen to point out the company's activities in buying equipment, including feed barges, nets and salmon feed, from fellow Scottish companies. Alongside that its community activities range from sporting sponsorships to backing of events such as the Cowal Highland Games.

He said: "In some areas we are the only employer so we have a responsibility as a company.

"Everything is a two way street, you have got to be able to give back and engage. You can't solve all problems but we really do put a big effort in [to corporate social responsibility]."

With salmon now worth in excess of £500 million annually to the Scottish economy Mr Anderson is confident on the prospects for the industry with exports in particular showing a strong growth curve.

However he would like to see aquaculture given more prominence in schools and further education as a career choice.

Along with that he feels there needs to be better engagement with bodies, including the likes of SEPA and Scottish Natural Heritage. Some campaigners do not like salmon farming citing things such as over-crowding, the threat to wild salmon from lice and the potential damage to the seabeds.

Mr Anderson said: "I'm a big believer in bringing a problem to the table. Don't let it fester. It is important for us to have a two-way relationship. No-one can have a monopoly on being right."

The company is pushing forward with trying to make its salmon stand out in the international crowd by emphasising the Scottish provenance.

Mr Anderson outlines the high end nature of the feed given to the salmon, which are typically farmed for three years before being harvested.

He said: "You cannot get the fish we produce in any other country. While other companies are looking to get a standardisation of Atlantic salmon we want to say have a look at this lovely Scottish salmon.

"We say there is premium for Scottish salmon already but we want to enhance that and take it to the next stage whether it is smoked or fresh."

Along with that there are a number of innovations which are ongoing. Those include using farmed wrasse, cleaner fish, to keep parasites to a minimum rather than bringing them in from the wild while other sites are experimenting with salmon being farmed alongside mussels and seaweed to improve the flow of nutrients in the water.

New products are also on the way with a Scottish salmon caviar among them. Mr Anderson said: "It is absolutely gorgeous, special."