Cooke Aquaculture has announced the appointment Michael Szemerda to the position of global chief sustainability officer.
Szmerda, who is currently the vice president of saltwater operations for Cooke Aquaculture’s North American operations, has been with the company for 30 years. In the new role, he will oversee environmental and regulatory programs, industry certifications, and sustainability initiatives across all of the company’s wild-catch and aquaculture subsidiaries.
“Michael has shown great leadership throughout his career with Cooke, and he has vast experience with all of Cooke’s saltwater operations around the globe,” Cooke Inc. CEO Glenn Cooke said in a release. “We’re thrilled that he has accepted this role at such a pivotal time of growth for our company. We know his experience with our operations, and knowledge of the seafood industry will help us in our commitment to protecting and enhancing the marine environments we work in.”
Szemerda will start in the new role when his current position is filled, according to Cooke Aquaculture.
“Cooke’s core purpose is 'to cultivate the ocean with care, nourish the world, provide for our families, and build stronger communities’ and our approach to sustainability is central to this,” Szemerda said. “Across all our subsidiary companies, we are fortunate to have some of the best and brightest minds in wild fisheries and aquaculture working to innovate and implement practices using sound science and advanced technologies to ensure our seafood is sustainable. I’m excited to unify these efforts and continue this important work with our colleagues around the globe.”
Photo courtesy of Cooke Aquaculture
