Andrew Choe named Bumble Bee CEO; Kim Nam-jung becomes chairman of Dongwon Group

Recently appointed Bumble Bee CEO Andrew Choe
Recently appointed Bumble Bee CEO Andrew Choe I Photo courtesy of Bumble Bee Seafoods
4 Min

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].

- Bumble Bee Seafoods has named Andrew Choe as its new CEO, effective 1 April. Choe previously spent more than 10 years at StarKist as its senior vice president of supply chain and operations and then as its CEO. 

"Bumble Bee is heading in an exciting direction, and I could not be more pleased to join the team at this pivotal moment in time," Choe said. "I look forward to unleashing the potential of the company with an immediate focus on continuing to grow the brand and cultivating relationships with our key customers, suppliers, and Bumble Bee employees."  

Choe left Starkist at the end of 2022, having led the company through a price-fixing scandal that cost it USD 100 million (then EUR 87.1 million) in criminal fines and millions more in civil litigation. most recently served as CEO of SENSEE World – a maker of products that assist the visually impaired, Bumble Bee said in a release.

"Our company is on an upward trajectory with great momentum in place," Bumble Bee Board Chair Jerry Chou said. "Andrew is the right leader at the right time to further transform our business and take us to new heights. He has priceless knowledge and expertise in our complex industry and is a people-focused leader with a history of helping talented teams succeed."

- Seoul, South Korea-headquartered Dongwon Group promoted its vice president and vice chair, Kim Nam-jung, as its new chair, according to NGO News.

Dongwon owns and operates Starkist, one of America’s top suppliers in pouched seafood.

"We plan to quickly respond to the rapidly changing external environment through quick decision-making and bold investments and accelerate innovation and create a sustainable growth structure for the future,” Dongwon Group said. 

- Urk, the Netherlands-based seafood company Visscher Seafood Group appointed Arjan Both and Patrice Flanagan to its advisory board. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Arjan and Patrice to our advisory board,” Visscher Seafood Group CEO Tim Brouwer said. “Their impressive track records and profound knowledge of the industry will provide invaluable guidance on our path to growth.”

Flanagan has more than 35 years experience in the seafood industry and formerly was a vice president at U.S. seafood distribution company Slade Gorton. 

“Her deep understanding of seafood distribution will be instrumental in guiding Visscher Seafood Group toward seizing new opportunities for growth in, specifically, the U.S. market,” Visscher said in a release. 

Both has a background in retail and consumer distribution working at Ahold, Unilever, and Walmart. 

“His insights into global food-sourcing strategies will significantly benefit Visscher Seafood Group as it continues to expand its reach and product offerings for the global retail market,” the company said in a release. 


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