SalMar ASA has selected Linda Litlekalsøy Aase to take over the position of CEO at the Frøya Municipality, Norway-headquartered salmon farming firm.
Aase will take up the role no later than 1 June, 2022, while current CEO Gustav Witzøe said he is willing to be nominated to the company's board, according to a statement issued by SalMar’s board of directors.
The new CEO joins from Aker Solutions, where she served as an executive vice president with responsibility for the business areas of electrification, maintenance, and modifications. She started at Aker Solutions in 2014, and has since starting held various management positions there. Prior to her time at Aker Solutions, she worked at Rolls-Royce Marine. She has also been a board member of SalMar ASA since June 2020.
“I am humble and have enormous respect for the fantastic job Gustav Witzøe and his 1,800 skilled employees do, and I look forward to leading the SalMar team further,” she said.
The company said it plans to continue its focus on improving all aspects of its aquaculture operations.
“SalMar has developed a strong operational organization with a focus on biology and cost efficiency throughout the value-chain, and we intend to develop this further with Linda at the helm,” SalMar Chairman Leif Inge Nordhammer said. “Linda's experience from other industries will also be very relevant for the further development of SalMar.”
Nordhammer thanked Witzøe for his “enormous, unique, and tireless efforts” for SalMar over the past 31 years.
“Without Gustav's extensive knowledge and innovative power, SalMar would not have been the company it is today," Nordhammer said. "SalMar will continue to use Gustav's experience and expertise, and he will, among other things, actively contribute in the NTS process.”
The transition comes at a time when SalMar is working to significantly expand its farming operations through the acquisition of NTS ASA. SalMar announced the launch of a voluntary offer for all outstanding shares in the company in February, a deal that is likely to move forward after its share-purchase offer was accepted by the majority of NTS ASA shareholders. The offer will be settled in a combination of cash and shares.
In 2021, SalMar harvested 182,100 metric tons of salmon, up from 161,500 MT in 2020.
Photo courtesy of Aker Solutions
