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].
- Shanghai, China-based restaurant holdings company Yum China has announced that Andy Yeung is resigning as the company’s CFO, effective 30 September, and will be replaced on 1 October by Adrian Ding, who is the firm’s current chief investment officer.
After leaving his post as CFO, Yeung will assume a senior advisor role to Joey Wat, who is the firm’s CEO, until 28 February 2025.
Yum China also appointed Mikel Durham, who was CEO of American Seafoods Group from 2016 to 2022 and has chaired the trade association for Alaska pollock, to its board of directors, effective 12 August. Since leaving American, Durham has served as an independent director of Tyson Foods, and has served on the board of the Marine Stewardship Council since 2023.
"Mikel's extensive experience in growing powerful brands, developing innovative products, and driving success will be invaluable. I trust that her expertise and guidance will inspire us as we navigate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead,” Wat said.
- Grieg Seafood has appointed Magnus Johannesen as its new global finance officer, effective 1 October.
In the new role, Johannesen will support the company’s CFO, Atle Harald Sandtorv, in financial and business decision-making.
"As the CFO of Grieg Seafood, I am confident that Magnus's extensive experience and leadership will drive continued growth and excellence within our organization. His insights and strategic approach will be invaluable as we navigate future opportunities in the seafood industry," Sandtorv said in a LinkedIn post.
Johannesen is joining Grieg from Norwegian investment firm Frydenbø Group, where he was chief investment officer.
"Grieg Seafood's values resonate strongly with my own, and it is gratifying to join a company that is a leader in sustainable aquaculture,” he said.
Elsewhere, Grieg has appointed Kristian Matthiasson to run its planned processing facility near Oslo's Gardemoen Airport. Matthiasson was formerly the CEO of Icelandic salmon firm Arnarlax and managing director of Norwegian processing firm Leines Seafood.
The plant is set to begin operations in fall 2025 and will process nearly 10,000 metric tons of salmon at the outset.
- Singapore-headquartered aquaculture firm Barramundi Group has hired Eric Tsang as an independent director.
Tsang brings institutional banking and investment management experience to the new role, specifically within the Asia-Pacific region.
“His strategic vision and leadership in cross border business developing and managing institutional relationships will be invaluable to Barramundi Group,” the company said in a release. “The board believes that Eric’s appointment will greatly contribute to the ongoing restructuring and future growth of the company.”
The company has had a number of personnel shakeups recently. On 20 February, two of Barramundi Group’s directors, Edward Averrill Ng Yong Sheng and Lai Nge Kong, resigned. That came after four other members of the company's board stepped down in May 2023. Additionally, the firm suffered an Oslo Børs penalty in June after posting its 2023 financial results late.
- Moises del Rio, the global business manager at Puerto Montt, Chile-based salmon-farming firm AquaChile, has announced he is leaving the company after eight years.
“It's time to turn the page and embark on a new chapter. It has been an honor to be part of a company that has consistently pushed the boundaries of sustainable salmon farming,” del Rio said. “This journey has been marked by making significant impact, deep market penetration, and the establishment of strong, lasting partnerships. Together with a dedicated team, we have brought premium-quality salmon to consumers across North America.”
He had only held the role since June 2024 after serving as AquaChile’s sales director for over seven years.
“I will be forever grateful for the experiences and opportunities provided by AquaChile and for the incredible friendships made along the way. A special thanks to everyone in the company who trusted in me and gave me the opportunity to grow,” he said.
- Anne Vanderhoeven has been reappointed to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) for another three-year term.
Vanderhoeven started her fishery career as a groundfish observer before expanding into crab and later program management. She is now the government affairs director for Alaska pollock-producing firm Arctic Storm and, among other work experiences, has ties to the trawling industry, including a board position at the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative.
Her reappointment rankled Indigenous and conservation groups, which claim the council’s management leans too far toward trawler interests.
“You can’t just have a trawl sector-dominated council,” said Eva Burk, who holds an Alaska Native tribal seat on an advisory panel to the NPFMC. “It’s just not going to start to get balance back into our different fisheries if we don’t put some diversity in the decision-making.”
Washington Governor Jay Inslee submitted recommendations for the position, and Vanderhoeven was the fourth of four recommended candidates on the list. The top choice on his list was Becca Robbins Gisclair, who is the senior director of Arctic programs at conservation group Ocean Conservancy.
- Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based seafood distribution firm Wulf’s Fish has hired Bill Weiss as its new head of sales.
“Bill’s deep knowledge of seafood, his infectious enthusiasm, and his solid business background made him the ideal candidate to lead this next phase of growth for Wulf’s Fish,” Wulf’s Fish CEO Michael Moniz said in a release.
Before assuming his new role, Weiss held the sales director position at fellow Massachusetts seafood company Island Creek Oysters. He also has experience as a commercial fisherman, as a chef within the restaurant industry, and with various sales positions.
"Joining Wulf’s Fish as head of sales starts the next chapter of something that fuels me every day,” Weiss said. “That’s selling the best products to the coolest chefs around.”
- Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.-based food distributor Performance Food Group (PFG) has announced that its executive vice president and chief commercial officer Patrick Hagerty will retire, effective 4 January 2025.
Hagerty has held the role since January 2022 and will continue as a consultant to the company until June 2025. He had been with Vistar, a division of PFG, since 1994 in various roles.
PFG has over 30,000 associates working in more than 150 locations across the U.S. and serves thousands of customers across the U.S. and Canada. The group is Red Lobster’s largest creditor, seeking over USD 24 million (ERU 22 million) from the bankrupt restaurant chain.
- The Norwegian Seafood Federation has appointed former Cermaq executive Mats Snåre to the brand new role of chief advisor of industrial ecology.
In the new managerial position, Snåre will aim to assess and reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture and overall seafood production in Norway.
“I must admit that probably not many people have heard of this [position],” Snåre said in a release. “It's quite new, but I can promise that in a few years, I think this will be on everyone's lips. Demand for sustainability is strong in the markets and will increase in the future. Consumers and retailers want to know more about the footprint.”
Before accepting the role, Snåre held several coordinator positions at fish-farming firm Cermaq, including sea and service coordinator, quality coordinator, and environmental coordinator.
