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].
– Varkaus, Finland-based fish farm Finnforel named Mikko Karell as the company’s new chief executive officer, effective immediately.
Karell has more than 25 years of experience in international food and consumer business, according to a release by Finnforel, and has led companies through growth, business transformations, international branding, and launching new food concepts.
“Finnforel is one of the most interesting companies in Europe’s sustainable food system. The company has unique technology, strong expertise, and an ambitious vision,” Karell said in the release. “I strongly believe that responsibly produced, high-quality animal protein will be one of the most important growth markets of the future. Finnforel is exceptionally well positioned to lead this development. The next step is to build even stronger customer- and market-driven growth. We will focus on identifying the markets and customer segments where Finnforel’s offering delivers the greatest value. At the same time, we will lay the foundation for international expansion and for bringing Finnish recirculating aquaculture expertise to new markets.”
The company has focused recently on hatcheries in Hatsina and land-based fish farming through recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technologies in Varkaus. Now, the company expressed interest in shifting focus to accelerating commercial growth, building international markets, and replicating Finnforel’s production and factory concepts in new markets.
“At this stage, Finnforel needs a leader who simultaneously understands consumers, retail, international business, the food industry, and the building of growth companies,” Finforel Chairman of the Board Kalle Ruuskanen said. “We are confident that his expertise will strongly support Finnforel’s next phase of development. The past few years have been a period of building for the company. We have strengthened our biological expertise, stabilized our production, and laid the foundation for future growth. We are now moving into a phase where commercialization, international expansion, and strategic partnerships will play an increasingly important role.”
– The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) announced two new board of trustees members, Stefanie Rog and Steve Philips, both elected in 2026.
Rog has more than 15 years of international conservation experience and a PhD in conservation biology, according to a release by ASC. Her work has included time with Cambodia’s coral reefs, lakes in Ethiopia, and in the mangrove forests in Australia. Currently, she’s based in Saudi Arabia and leads coordination for six protected areas to strengthen restoration, conduct research, and work with the community. Her appointment to ASC began 1 July 2026.
"I translate ambitious conservation goals into clear strategies and deliver results through strong alignment and structured planning, tailored to the local context and best scientific practices...,” Rog said in the release. “With a deep personal affinity for coastal ecosystems, especially mangroves, I am delighted to join ASC as a trustee.”
Philips has more than 20 years of experience in retail merchandising, sourcing, and seafood supply chain leadership. He worked for Wegmans Food Markets, leading the seafood category strategy and developing the company’s Seafood Sourcing Policy. He also serves as the vice-chair of the Supervisory Board of the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) and works on improving traceability standards globally. His appointment to ASC began 1 January 2026.
"ASC is fortunate to welcome two outstanding leaders to our Board of Trustees,” ASC CEO Chris Ninnes said. “Stefanie's deep expertise in conservation, restoration and landscape-scale environmental management, combined with Steve's extensive experience in seafood sourcing, retail leadership and traceability, further strengthens the breadth of knowledge guiding our organization. As aquaculture continues to play an increasingly important role in global food systems, it is essential that ASC benefits from perspectives spanning both environmental stewardship and commercial implementation. Their combined experience will help ensure ASC continues to deliver practical, science-based solutions that create value for producers, businesses, investors and consumers, while driving meaningful improvements for people and nature."
– Oslo, Norway-based independent insurance brokerage Lockton appointed Didrik Smith as the global practice leader of aquaculture, starting August 2026.
Smith was brought on to help strengthen the brokerage’s specialist capabilities in aquaculture, given the global reach. He joins Lockton after working as an advisor for Aon, which holds some of the world’s leading salmon farming companies globally. He’s also worked at Marsh, advising aquaculture clients on insurance, risk management, and risk transfer strategies, according to a release by Lockton.
“I am delighted to be joining the team in Norway to lead this practice on a global scale,” Smith said in the release. “The pace of change is creating new opportunities for advisers to adapt and innovate, and we’re well positioned to support clients across international markets with sharper risk insight and genuinely forward-looking solutions.”
According to the release, “Lockton has recently strengthened across its Nordic operations through a series of senior appointments, including Frode Stakston (COO), Sjur Hille Olsen (Head of Strategic Growth & Emerging Opportunities), Stein Halstensen (Biological Risk Specialist), Dag Sandberg (Client Executive) and Bård Poulsson (International Marine Lead) over the last 12 months.”
Lockton Norway Head of Strategic Growth and Emerging Opportunities Sjur Hille Olsen said the appointment will be an investment in specialized biomass insurance expertise, which is vital in a fast growing sector such as aquaculture.
“Smith’s hire underlines out ambitions to challenge established thinking and cement Norway’s position at the heart of international aquaculture broking,” Lockton Norway CEO Øyvind Larsen said.
