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].
– Utrecht, Netherlands-based aquaculture investor Aqua-Spark recently hired Katherine Bryar as the director of strategic partnerships.
“Katherine’s integrated approach and deep focus on relationships are deeply aligned with how we operate,” Aqua-Spark co-founder Amy Novogratz said.
Previously, Bryar was the global marketing director at Aarhaus, Denmark-based aquaculture feed company BioMar for nearly 9 years. After leaving BioMar, Bryar was announced as the chief sales marketing officer at New South Wales, Australia-based Murray Cod producer Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod where she spent the last 2 months.
At Aqua-Spark, Bryar will focus on strengthening relationships between farmers, technology providers, processors, investors, and industry stakeholders, a release by Aqua-Spark said. The company added that the aquaculture sector needs “closer industry coordination and long-term investment discipline” as sustainability efforts continue to rise. Aqua-Spark has spent the past 15 years investing in companies targeting just that.
More than 200 investment funds are active in the sustainable aquaculture sector now, which has grown exponentially since the investment company’s launch as “the first dedicated sustainable aquaculture impact investment fund.”
“It seems the international seafood industry is not quite done with me yet,” Bryar said on LinkedIn. “I return to Europe to take on this exciting new role at a pivotal time in aquaculture as we convert the last 10 years of innovation from proof-of-concept to commercialization.”
– Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A.-based Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF) announced former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Eric Deakin’s retirement after 18 years with the company.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Eric for his years of dedicated service to Coastal Villages Region Fund,” CVRF Chairman of the Board of Directors Larson Hunter said. “Under his leadership, CVRF strengthened its fisheries operations, expanded opportunities for member communities, and positioned the organization for continued long-term success.”
Deakin joined CVRF in 2008, where he worked for 10 years before being promoted to chief operating officer in 2018. He was then appointed executive director and CEO a year later in 2019, where he remained until 2026. During his time in leadership, Deakin helped the company earn two of the highest revenue years in history and acquire additional fishing vessels and quota to participate in all three Alaskan pollock sectors. He also worked on salmon bycatch avoidance initiatives with gear and fishing methods and helped establish the Community Quota Share program that included all member tribes as owners and participants in the crab fishery. Deakin led rapid response efforts for two historic and catastrophic storms in member communities and helped the company acquire a Honda dealership for rural service and training for community programs. He also helped CVRF launch new initiatives like GIS mapping with drones and advanced software to support infrastructure development in rural communities.
“It has been the honor of my career to serve Coastal Villages Region Fund and the residents of its 20 communities,” Deakin said. “Years ago, I joined CVRF because I believe deeply in the organization’s mission to create long-term opportunity and economic strength for western Alaska communities. That commitment has only deepened over the years, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside such dedicated employees, board members and community leaders.”
He will be replaced by Nick Souza, who has worked as the organization’s director of sales and marketing before the promotion to CEO. Souza has been with CVRF for 20 years, and the company said he brings “extensive operational knowledge as well as longstanding industry and community relationships” to the new role.
“Coastal Villages Region Fund’s mission and commitment to the region is unchanged,” Souza said. “I'm honored by the confidence the board of directors has in me, and I look forward to working alongside our staff, board members and partners to continue delivering the programs, benefits and opportunities our villages depend on.”
