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].
– Craig Morris has stepped down as CEO of the Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) after seven years, effective April 2026.
Morris has accepted to serve as the incoming president of Edmonds, Washington, U.S.A.-based crab and frozen seafood processor and supplier Keyport.
“Under Craig’s steady hand, GAPP was transformed into the proactive, professional and well-respected organization that it is today,” GAPP Board Chairman Jim Johnson said in a release. “It’s difficult to overstate how Craig transformed GAPP, professionalizing the organization and working to establish programs that launched the industry forward, programs that will long survive him and be his lasting legacy at GAPP.”
Morris joined GAPP as CEO in 2019 and helped grow the organization's Associate Member Program to 30 different industry members, the company said in a release. Additionally, he oversaw the GAPP Partnership Program, which funded collaborations with major seafood brands, retailers, and restaurants to promote Alaska pollock. Under Morris, GAPP also secured grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Agriculture for promotional and market-expansion projects.
“Wild Alaska pollock will always have a very special place in my heart, and I will always be the fish’s biggest fan,” Morris said. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn’t pass up, but leaving GAPP is certainly bittersweet. I want to thank the GAPP board for teaching me so much, most importantly what true servant leadership looks like. You’ll never meet more passionate, dedicated, and committed advocates than the industry leaders on the GAPP board, and I’m grateful to them for the trust and faith they’ve shown me as CEO.”
His new position as president at Keyport will strengthen the leadership team at a pivotal time for growth, Keyport said in a release. Both Mark Pedersen and Kurt Pedersen are remaining in their CEO and COO positions, respectively, but adding Morris as president will allow a shift to focus on partnerships, supply and harvest relationships, and milestone goals for 2027 – the company’s 30-year anniversary.
“We’ve developed strong momentum over the past several years,” Pedersen said. “As our business continues to grow, Craig’s experience and industry relationships add strength to our leadership team and increase our ability to aggressively expand the Keyport brand in the years ahead.”
Keyport said in a release that Morris helped transform Alaska pollock “from an anonymous whitefish into a sought-after global brand known by customers and consumers around the world.”
“Keyport has built something special over the last 30 years, and I’m humbled to be joining this family-owned business as president,” Morris said. “The strong reputation across the Alaska seafood industry that Mark and Kurt have earned shines through in everything they do. I am eager to join the team and work to achieve the ambitious goals they’ve set for the future of the business.”
Morris will work alongside the GAPP board ahead of the transition to find a new CEO.
– Jim McManus is retiring from Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based seafood harvesting and processing company Trident Seafoods’ board of directors, where he has served since 2016.
Current Trident COO Mike Quinn will fill McManus’ spot.
McManus has been involved with the North American seafood industry since the 1970s, working in Alaska’s crab and salmon fisheries. He first joined Trident Seafoods in 1991, and since that time, he has expanded the fleet from six to 20 vessels, the company said in a release.
He also served as president of Trident Seafoods subsidiary Royal Viking and helped build and manage the Akutan Catcher Vessel Association for pollock and cod shoreside fishing vessels in the Bering Sea.
"Jim has been one of the most important mentors in my life," Trident Seafoods CEO Joe Bundrant said in a release. “Our family will always be grateful for the way Jim looked out for my dad, Chuck, especially during his final years. Jim’s loyalty, compassion, and integrity define the very best of our industry, and I will forever be thankful to call him a mentor and a friend. I wish him all the very best in his well-earned retirement.”
Quinn previously served on Trident Seafoods’ board for five years before shifting roles to COO.
"We are truly glad to welcome Mike back in this capacity," Bundrant said. "He brings deep operational expertise, a strong understanding of Trident’s business, and a longstanding commitment to our people and values. His return to Trident’s board is a meaningful one, and we’re thankful to once again benefit from his experience, perspective, and leadership."
