To keep up to date with the latest personnel changes across the seafood industry, SeafoodSource is compiling a regular round-up of hiring announcements and other personnel-related shifts worldwide. If you have an announcement, please send it to [email protected].
- Reston, Virginia U.S.A.-based StarKist has appointed Young Choi as president and CEO.
“StarKist remains committed to delivering the highest quality protein products to its consumers and looks forward to a seamless transition under Mr. Choi's leadership,” Starkist said in a release.
Choi has been with the company since 2022, and held roles as Starkist’s vice president of finance, COO, and CFO.
Before joining StarKist, Choi held various finance executive positions with SPC Group and Tesco in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea from December 2007 to April 2022. Prior to that, Choi worked as a certified public accountant for Deloitte in both South Korea and the United States from 1998 to November 2007. He received his Bachelor's degree from Yonsei University in South Korea and an MBA from Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom, the company said.
- Arni Sigurdsson (pictured) has been appointed as CEO of Marel, a Gardabaer, Iceland-based seafood manufacturing processing company.
Sigurdsson was named interim CEO after former CEO Arni Oddur Thordarson abruptly resigned in November.
“I joined Marel in 2014 as I saw a great business which not only had tremendous opportunities to deliver growth but also to make a meaningful impact for good on food systems globally,” Sigurdsson said in a release. “I am proud of what we have achieved over the last decade and as I look ahead, I am even more excited for what awaits, and I will be assessing the best approach to deliver on our full potential, in the coming months. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues, customers, and wider stakeholders in my new role to ensure that Marel continues to play a leading role in transforming the way food is processed.”
Sigurdsson previously served as the company’s head of strategy, before becoming chief strategy officer, then executive vice president of strategic business units, chief business officer, then deputy CEO.
“The board of directors is pleased to confirm the appointment of Arni Sigurdsson as chief executive officer of Marel after it undertook a thorough process during the last month. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Arni over a number of years during which he has held various important leadership roles across our business, most recently the interim CEO position during an uncertain period for the company, which he has managed well," Marel Board Chair Arnar Thor Masson said. "The board and I are confident that he has the skill set and experience needed to ensure Marel effectively manages the near-term headwinds and enable Marel to deliver on its significant potential, for the benefit of our shareholders and wider stakeholders.”
-The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Assocation (BBRSDA) has announced that former Peter Pan President CEO Barry Collier has been appointed as an advisor on industry and global market initiatives.
“The BBRSDA has had incredible success that much of the industry and even fishermen are not aware of,” Collier said in a release. “I look forward to not only bringing the established programs of the BBRSDA to light throughout the fleet and industry, but also helping gain back global markets in a time when it is needed the most.”
Collier will join the BBRSDA in January 2024, after being with Peter Pan for 33 years, until March 2021.
“The board is confident that the addition of Barry’s experience and the current BBRSDA staff will keep the organization on track to achieving our mission and continuing to elevate our brand and programs,” BBRSDA Board President Fritz Johnson said.
- Valderøya, Norway-based global aquaculture systems company Optimar announced it has appointed Lene Christin Bratseth as its vice president for sustainability and business development.
Christin Bratseth will begin on 1 March 2024, the company said in a release.
“After an intensive and structured process, we are delighted to have found a new colleague in Lene Christin Bratseth. We were particularly impressed by her extensive experience, and I’m confident that she will contribute with sustainable ideas that benefit both customers and Optimar,” Optimar CEO Georg Holgler Saint-Denis said.
Christin Bratseth previously worked at Sparebanken Møre in as a senior advisor for the seafood department.
Photo courtesy of Marel
