Cermaq adds North America sales head, loses COO of Canada operations

Cermaq, an international salmon and trout farming company based in Oslo, Norway, has appointed Arild Aakre as its new head of sales for North America. The company also announced that its Canada operations COO Fernando Villarroel will leave the company in April 2017 to return back to his native Chile.

Aakre is being promoted from his current position as Cermaq’s European business development, where he has worked since February 2016. He previously served as global marketing and business development director for Marine Harvest.

“I am thrilled to be part of our commercial team in North America and continue our work to build strong long-term relationship with customers,” Aakre said. “Cermaq, as the second-biggest salmonid producer in the world, should have a more significant role in the biggest salmon market in the world. I am looking forward to contributing to that.”

Cermaq currently sells the salmon it farms in Chile, Norway and Canada in the United States and in Canada. Aakre will run Cermaq’s sales offices in Vancouver, Canada and Miami, U.S.A., including leading the company’s marketing and business development support. He will continue his work with strategic customers in Europe, according to a press release from the company.

In a separate release, Villarroel said he decided to resign from Cermaq in order to return to Chile after working abroad for 10 years.

“It has been a privilege to work for Cermaq Group for almost 20 years,” Villaroel said. “Leaving the company was one of the most difficult decisions of my professional career but as a family we have decided that is time to return to Chile, says Fernando. I leave Cermaq at a point in time when the operations in Canada are sound, there is a strong organization in place and the results are best ever.”
Fernando will remain COO in Canada until end of April, Cermaq CEO Geir Molvik said.

“It is with regret that I have accepted the resignation from Fernando Villarroel,” Molvik said. “Fernando has been with Cermaq for 19 years and has been very important for the company, not only in Canada but also for the global operations.”

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