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].
– James Binniker has been named the new director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement.
Binniker will assume the position after two years in the office’s assistant director role, where he was particularly responsible for policy and strategy plans to IUU fishing, foreign partner capacity building, and support to enforcement in the field.
A 26-year veteran of the Coast Guard, Binniker has held variety of assignments, including roles in law enforcement, search and rescue, environmental pollution response, and maritime security operations. At the end of his tenure at the Coast Guard, he was chief of the Office of Maritime Law Enforcement Policy's Fisheries Enforcement Division.
In a release, Binniker said that he would prioritize the “dedicated staff of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement to promote compliance with federal laws that support sustainable fisheries and protect marine mammals, endangered species, and national marine sanctuaries and continue to develop enforcement partnerships here and abroad so we can level the playing field for honest fishermen."
– Florida’s Supreme Crab & Seafood has named long-time executive Troy Turkin as its new CEO. Turkin has been with the top U.S. crab provider since 2016, when he joined as COO after working with Bonamar and Newport International.
Andy Walton, Supreme’s former CEO, will continue to develop retail products for the company while Turkin takes over the leadership role. The two men founded Florida’s Crystal Harbor Seafood together in 2010, and Turkin came on as COO at Supreme shortly after Walton joined the company as CEO in 2016. Prior to starting Crystal Harbor, both men were executives at St. Petersburg, Florida-based Newport International.
A 30-year veteran of the seafood industry, Turkin was named to the board of the National Fisheries Institute in 2022.
– Espersen Human Resources Director Michael Windahl Andersen has left the organization after 17 years of service in human resources.
Anderson’s departure comes after July announcement that longtime CEO Klaus Nielson would be retiring from the Rønne, Denmark-based seafood processor, and that his deputy, Max Sorensen, was also leaving the company.
In a LinkedIn post, Anderson attributed his departure to a “new direction” within HR prompted by Espersen’s new executive management team.
“The implication for me,” he wrote, “unfortunately, is that I have been released from my position as HR director.”
– Norway-based salmon farmer Nova Sea has appointed former Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries State Secretary Daniel Bjarmann-Simonsen as its new communications and public affairs director. Bjarmann-Simonsen currently serves as the director of society and enterprise for Bodø Municipality and was formerly regional director of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NH).
In a release, Nova Sea CEO Tom Eirik Aasjord said Bjarmann-Simonsen, with his extensive public-service background, is expected to be a key contact with government agencies. He called Bjarmann-Simonsen a “key resource for us in the time ahead, especially in our strategic work with communication and public affairs.”
“We work in an industry with many fantastic stories and examples of how important we are to Norway and district communities," Aasjord said. "At the same time, the industry faces challenges related to welfare and reputation that need to be addressed.”
– Norwegian water treatment company Sterner has named Stian Johnson new CEO. Johnson brings experience in water treatment and sustainable technology to Sterner, which has recently gone through a restructuring of its land-based aquaculture investments.
The NOK 300 million (USD 30 million) company provides water purification services to aquaculture operations, wellboat technology, and drinking and wastewater treatment.
In a release, Johnson said he “look[s] forward to strengthening [Sterner’s] position as a leading provider of innovative water treatment technology.”
– Steven Summerfelt has joined the Seafood Nutrition Partnership’s Seafood Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC). SNAC’s mission is to promote the health benefits of a seafood diet.
Summerfelt is chief science officer at Superior Fresh, the first land-based salmon farm in the U.S., and was formerly the director of aquaculture research at the Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute. His peer-reviewed published research has focused on ways to make aquaculture more sustainable and improve the well-being of farmed fish.
– After four years as vice president of financial planning and analysis at Nova Scotia’s High Liner Foods, Deepak Bhandari has returned to Maple Leaf Foods, where he was employed before joining High Liner. At Maple Leaf, Bhandari will serve as chief financial officer of the pork division.
Bhandari’s most recent role at High Liner was as interim chief financial officer. His departure comes after High Liner announced the arrival of CFO Darryl Bergman, formerly of Clearwater Seafoods, in May.
– Portland, Maine, U.S.A.-based Bristol Seafood has added Michael Cote and Jennifer Bushman to its board of directors.
Cote previously held executive positions at Pepperidge Farm, Odwalla, and Bar Harbor Foods.
“His expertise will be instrumental in supporting Bristol Seafood's mission to design innovative products and advise retailers on selection and merchandising strategies tailored to their specific locations and shopper demographics,” the company said in a press release.
As a previous James Beard Award nominee the co-producer of the PBS docu-series Hope in the Water and Bushman “brings a unique perspective to the board with her experience in conveying the compelling stories behind seafood,” it said.
“Her record of helping the industry build pride around responsibility, provenance, and quality aligns perfectly with Bristol Seafood's core values,” it said.
Bristol Seafood President and CEO Peter Handy said he expected Cote and Bushman to further the company’s “dedication to excellence and our commitment to the highest standards of responsibility and quality."
"Michael's fact-based approach and Jennifer's storytelling acumen enhance Bristol’s ability to serve our customers and support their long-term growth,” he said.
– Ahold Delhaize USA has announced that Roger Wheeler is now brand president of Stop & Shop. Gordon Reid, who formerly held the role, will retire in mid-2025.
Wheeler is a 20-year veteran of the company and most recently held the role of chief commercial officer. Ahold Delhaize CEO JJ Fleeman called Wheeler “a proven leader who is passionate about customer experience, knows the market, and has an outstanding track record of building a strong organizational culture.”
“Stop & Shop has a clear focus on growing through large, multi-year price investments and a stronger customer value proposition," Wheeler said.
