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].
–Insect feed company Protix named Maiko Van der Meer its new CEO.
Van der Meer has spent nearly four decades in leadership roles at major companies, including Unilever, where he spent the first nineteen years of his career, and a number of food companies, including Netherlands-headquartered shrimp producer Klaas Puul and Tyson Foods.
Most recently, he held the role of Interim CCO at Dutch biotechnology company Meatable, which produces cell-cultured meat. He currently serves on the boards of MeEat Food Tech and the New Packaging Group.
In a release about the news, Protix said that Van der Meer’s role will involve advancing the firm’s global expansion into the aquaculture feed, livestock feed, and pet food markets.
“With rising meat and seafood demand and the need for more sustainable food chains, I am excited to lead a company that is at the forefront of changing the food system,” Van der Meer said.
“Protix is building on a solid foundation with strong assets such as its committed team, unique portfolio of functional ingredients, state-of-the technology, and valuable partnerships such as that with Tyson Foods. I see a bright future for functional insect ingredients, and look forward to advancing their role in building a circular food system,” he said.
Protix uses industrial food waste to raise insects that then themselves become protein in fish and animal feed. It aims for complete circularity, using leftovers from its own process for fertilizer.
“Reintegrating insects into the food chain helps restore nature’s balance and create a sustainable food chain,” the company said.
–Aurora Bekkevold has left Grieg for ScaleAQ Software.
Bekkevold was a key account manager at Grieg, and formerly held similar roles at Leroy and GreenPowerHub.
In a LinkedIn post about the move, Bekkevold said that ScaleAQ provides “digital tools that help fish farmers monitor, analyze and optimize their daily operations - improving fish health, efficiency and sustainability across the entire production cycle.”
“Aurora's commercial mindset and cross-industry experience make her a great fit for our team. Her drive, energy, and deep understanding of international aquaculture align perfectly with our mission of sustainable digital transformation," ScaleAQ Director of Sales and Professional Services Stephen Budgeon said in a release.
In a release about the news, the company also noted that Bekkevold speaks fluent Chilean Spanish, Norwegian, and English. She will be based in Bergen, Norway.
