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].
– Ålesund, Norway-based cod-farming firm Ode announced Marcy Bemiller as the new commercial director of Ode Americas, overseeing regional commercial strategy in the new market.
Bemiller founded Candor Consulting and Candor Seafood, where she’s worked since 2016. There, she worked in consulting and marketing, as well as managing sales and logistics for global seafood clients. Before then, she was also the Sano Seafoods U.S. division president and has worked at Trident Seafoods.
Bemiller has also served on the board of directors at the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and co-founded the women's professional network Sea Sirens.
"Over the years, I’ve had many opportunities to move from a consulting role to a permanent position with a client, and Ode is exactly what I have been looking for in a company and a producer," Bemiller said in a release. "They go far beyond the industry 'buzzwords' of sustainability and traceability; it is the genuine vision, the commitment to product quality, and the passion that starts with the leadership and trickles down through the entire organization that truly hooked me. Having consulted for the team since the beginning, I already feel like part of the family, and I look forward to a seamless transition into this new chapter and getting Ode cod on the menu at home and at your favorite restaurant from Canada to Chile."
Ode Founder and CEO Ola Kvalheim said Bemiller's hire supports the company's international growth strategy into the Americas.
"The Americas represent the single biggest growth opportunity for farmed cod, and we are entering with full force," Kvalheim said. "To do that, you need someone who has actually built seafood brands and sales organizations in that market – not once but throughout an entire career. Marcy is exactly that person. She has worked with us since the early days of our journey into the U.S., so she knows who we are and what we stand for. She shares our passion for quality and our belief that cod deserves a place among the world's great premium seafood. I'm genuinely thrilled to have her on the team, and I can't wait to see Ode cod on plates across the Americas."
– Portland, Maine, U.S.A.-based independent nonprofit Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) announced Jennifer Golden as the incoming senior vice president of marketing and communications, which is a new position for the institute.
“Maine has long been an important part of my life, so this opportunity is especially meaningful to me,” Golden said in a release. “I am drawn to GMRI’s deep commitment to the communities and ecosystems of Maine and inspired by its science-based approach to addressing the challenges facing our ocean and the people who depend on it. This is urgent and important work, and I am excited to be a part of it.”
Golden will lead GMRI's local, regional, and global engagement with stakeholders. Prior to this role, she was George Washington University's executive director for advancement marketing and communications. She also worked in the communications department for the Embassy of Australia.
"The Gulf of Maine has become one of the world's most important places for understanding how ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities are responding to rapid change," GMRI President and CEO Glenn Prickett said in a release. "Jennifer has spent more than two decades helping expertise-driven institutions connect with the partners, communities, and donors needed to turn those ideas into action.”
– Bergen, Norway-based aquaculture marketing, sales, and business development company Ocean Tales recently hired Trond Severinsen as its industry specialist for commercial growth.
Severinsen will focus on assisting clients with business and technology development, strategy, and networking. He will also help with internationization and consulting for the import and export of aquaculture technology.
“The opportunity to join Ocean Tales was simply too good to turn down," Severinsen said. “There’s only so much you can achieve on your own, and together with highly competent colleagues at Ocean Tales, a much larger market is opening up where we can jointly offer more services to more clients globally."
Severinsen has over 40 years of experience in the aquaculture sector, working for 25 years at AKVA. There, he was the country manager of Canada, chief marketing officer, chief operating officer, and head of technology and development. He was an integral part in building AKVA's business in Canada, an Ocean Tales release explained, and helped build export business and establish subsidiaries.
“This was a crucial piece of the puzzle for us to put in place," Ocean Tales Managing Director and Co-Founder Pål von Zinke Herstad said. "We are growing rapidly, and our projects often span national borders. With his global network and extensive experience, Trond is a truly unique asset."
