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].
- Dronninglund, Denmark-based seafood distributor Kangamiut Seafood appointed Rasmus Grønborg Bak (pictured) as CEO, effective 1 August 2024. Bak has been on the board of Kangamiut Group since 2023.
“Thanks to Rasmus’s valuable board contributions, his strong track record within trading and strategic management, as well as his winning personality, we could think of no one more suitable for the role of CEO in Kangamiut Seafood,” the company said in a LinkedIn release.
Bak will begin the position upon the retirement of current CEO Kim Roed Jensen, who will continue to be a member of the board of directors for several Kangamiut Seafood subsidiaries, according to the company.
“We would like to sincerely thank Kim for his impressive contribution to the development and growth of Kangamiut Seafood and the Kangamiut Group and look forward to continuing the collaboration in this new constellation,” the company said.
- Bainbridge Island, Washington, U.S.A.-based nonprofit SeaShare appointed Analise Gonzales to its board of directors. Gonzales is currently the director of specialty brands at Trident Seafoods.
“I am honored to have the privilege of joining the board at SeaShare. The tireless dedication to supplying seafood to those experiencing food insecurity, as well as the significant progress being made to create a positive impact on the seafood industry, is truly remarkable,” Gonzales said in a release. “As someone who is an omega enthusiast, I am genuinely thrilled to contribute to SeaShare's mission and to highlight the nutritional value, versatility, and sustainability of seafood."
Founded in 1994, SeaShare is a nonprofit organization that aims to connect the U.S. seafood industry with donation efforts, supplying nutritious food and resources to hunger relief efforts nationwide. SeaShare takes donated seafood from fishermen and processors around the country and delivers it to food banks, which welcome the offer of a healthy protein option for those in need, according to SeaShare Executive Director Jim Harmon.
“Gonzales joins the SeaShare board with a passion and deep understanding of the seafood industry. Having grown up in a fishing family, she started working for Trident Seafoods in 2018. Early in her career, she focused on supporting various aspects of the company including training, new business initiatives, and brand development,” SeaShare said.
- Alexandros Samartzis has been appointed nutrition and support director of aquaculture for Asia and Vietnam at Wageningen, the Netherlands-based feed company Royal De Heus. According to his LinkedIn, he began the position in January 2024.
Previously, Samartzis worked at specialty chemicals company Evonik as a director of global account management.
Royal De Heus, which acquired the compound feed operations of Neovia Indonesia from Archer Daniels Midland Company in June 2020, said the acquisition of the two plants will play a crucial role in its plan to become a leading supplier of animal feed in the largest economy in Southeast Asia – a plan in which Samartzis will play a crucial role.
- Grieg Seafood Newfoundland Managing Director Knut Skeidsvoll has announced his retirement.
Skeidsvoll had been leading the development of a Placentia Bay-based aquaculture project beginning in 2014 and saw it through to its first generation of harvest in 2023. He will remain in the position during a transitionary period lasting until June 2024, Grieg Seafood said in a release.
“During the next months, he will lead the development of the post-smolt building, the first phase of which is currently under construction,” Grieg Seafood said.
Grieg Seafood Newfoundland HR and Communications Director Perry Power has also announced retirement after eight years with the company. Grieg Seafood COO of Farming North America Grant Cumming will act as the interim managing director, effective 5 February.
“Grieg Seafood would like to thank both Knut and Perry for all of their work and wish them the best of luck in the next chapter of their lives,” the company said.
- Bioriginal, a subsidiary of Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada-based Cooke Inc., promoted Ryan Ginther as its vice president of human resources, as well as Erin Hopkins to the role of vice president of quality assurance.
Ginther has been with Bioriginal since 2019 and will undertake global responsibility for the company's HR efforts, Bioriginal CEO and President Shannon Sears said in a LinkedIn release.
“We anticipate that 2024 will be a busy year with two acquisitions expected to close, pushing total employment within the Bioriginal Group to over 300 with eight manufacturing facilities in four countries on two continents,” Sears said.
Hopkins has also been with the company since 2019, according to her LinkedIn, and has held positions as a product development specialist, director of quality assurance and regulatory, and director of new product development.
Photo courtesy of Kangamiut Seafood/Rasmus Grønborg Bak
