Orca Bay Seafoods Co-Founder and Senior Vice President Trish Haaker is set to retire at the end of this month, and two other top executives have left the 35-year-old seafood supplier.
Since Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Orca Bay merged with Sealaska-owned Odyssey Foods in 2017, two other top management executives have left the company.
Mike Walsh, who was chief executive officer and executive vice president of Orca Bay, is now with Grobest Seafood Co. Walsh was “integral in Orca Bay’s growth,” Haaker told SeafoodSource.
And former Orca Bay Chief Financial Officer Dave McGee left the company last March, and is now consulting chief financial officer of CFO Selections in Seattle.
Ryan Mackey now serves as CEO of Orca Bay and Phil Crean is company president.
“Trish was a mentor to so many future players in the seafood industry and her steadfast vision and unrivaled analytical skills will not be forgotten,” Mackey said in a press release.
No replacement has been named for Haaker, and her role has been spread between existing employees, Crean told SeafoodSource. There are no other changes at Orca Bay LLC and the “management structure is stable,” Crean added.
Haaker co-founded Orca Bay in 1985, along with Jack Mercer and Mike Samsel. She helped lead the company’s operations, procurement, and sales divisions.
“I have been here 35 years – and in the industry 41 years. I think I deserve some time off,” Haaker told SeafoodSource.
Haaker said she is leaving Orca Bay in good hands with the management and employees currently in place at Odyssey/Orca Bay.
Photo courtesy of Trish Haaker
