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].
– Aquaculture technology firm AKVA Group has announced a number of leadership changes.
Erlend Gundersen Røed has been named COO of AKVA Group’s Sea-Based Nordic division and will also join AKVA’s management team. He takes over for Kristian Botnen, who recently resigned to become CEO of Benchmark Genetics.
Gundersen Røed called the appointment an “exciting opportunity."
“The aquaculture industry plays an important role in ensuring sustainable food production, and I want to contribute to AKVA group’s continued delivery of strong solutions and value creation for our customers,” he said.
Gundersen Røed joined AKVA in 2024 and has previously held numerous management positions in the industrial sector.
Additionally, Arnstein Hosaas, who has been serving as the innovation director at AKVA Group has been promoted to chief innovation officer for the Sea-Based division. A veteran of the oil industry, Hosaas holds advanced degrees in marine engineering and hydrodynamics. He will also serve on AKVA Group’s management team.
– Kristian Botnen, a seasoned aquaculture executive with experience at AKVA and Norwegian fish-farming firm Lingalaks, will serve as CEO of Benchmark Genetics from 3 November onward.
Botnen was chosen, the company said, because he “has consistently delivered operational excellence and exceeded financial and sustainability goals while building high-performing teams.”
Botnen said he was honored by the appointment.
“Benchmark Genetics has an exceptional team, cutting-edge science, and a strong global footprint. I look forward to building on this foundation to deliver even greater value to our customers, enhance sustainability across aquaculture, and strengthen our role as a trusted partner to the industry,” he said.
Aleks Engel, a partner at Novo Holdings, which owns Benchmark, said he was thrilled to welcome Botnen, adding that “he combines commercial, operational, and financial acumen with deep industry knowledge.”
"We are confident that Kristian, together with the rest of the management team, will lead Benchmark Genetics into a new and exciting era capitalizing on new genomic breeding technologies, and enabling our customers to feed the world more efficiently and sustainably," he said. "We look forward to seeing the long-term partnerships with Benchmark Genetics’ global customer base growing even deeper over the coming years.”
– Royal Greenland has announced a restructuring within its Newfoundland and Labrador operations.
Quin-Sea Fisheries, which Royal Greenland purchased in 2016, will now be fully integrated into the rest of Royal Greenland, the company said.
Royal Greenland also said that Simon Jarding, a long-time managing director of Quin-Sea, was leaving his position and that he would be replaced by a new head of production, a position for which the company is currently recruiting.
Royal Greenland North American Sales Managing Director Joanne Gibbons will serve as interim managing director of Quin-Sea until that new hire can be found.
In a release about the news, the company said that it was “fully committed to strengthening its operations and long-term presence in the region.”
CEO Preben Sunke thanked Jarding for his work, saying that he had played “a central role in guiding Quin-Sea Fisheries through the transfer of ownership, navigating the challenges of Covid-19 and volatile markets, and helping to double the intake of snow crab.”
Royal Greenland has also announced that Niels Thomsen, who formerly served as deputy chairman of the company’s board, will take the position of chairperson, as Maliina B. Abelsen, who held the position since 2022, steps down.
“After three intense years as chairperson of Royal Greenland, I am now confidently passing the baton to Niels Thomsen," Abelsen said. "It has been an honor to lead the work through a demanding turnaround and the cleanup of engagements abroad ... the strengthening of leadership in Nuuk, and the initiation of the construction of a new headquarters. It has required tough decisions, but the most important thing for me has always been that Royal Greenland contributes to the entire Greenlandic community. I am proud of the results we have achieved together.”
“When asked to take on a responsibility of this significance, one cannot say no – especially when considering the company's role and importance to the entire Greenlandic community,” Thomsen said of his appointment.
Speaking on the importance of Royal Greenland to the nation’s economy and its role in the global fishing industry, he emphasized “the social responsibility that comes with being Greenland's largest company.”
“We need to focus on investments in the commercial activities we have here in the country, with the aim of creating results that both strengthen our global position and contribute to growth and opportunities in Greenland,” Thomsen said.
The Royal Greenland board also announced the addition of Susanne Kure, who brings leadership experience from a number of other companies and organizations, including The Danish Growth Fund, The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy, and ChangeGroup, a Danish technology company.
