Victoria Parr, who previously served as the marketing director for AquaChile’s Verlasso salmon brand, has been hired as Veramaris’ business development director for North America.
Delft, The Netherlands-based enterprise Veramaris produces a fishmeal supplement made of marine algae that contains high levels of both EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.
Parr, who also formerly worked as domestic marketing director at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, will “anchor further outreach into the U.S. market” for Veramaris, the company said in a press release.
“Success in this new role means supporting aquaculture as it continues to scale-up, sustainably. When customers choose our natural, marine algae oil – grown in our Nebraska, U.S.A., zero-waste facility – they are relieving pressure on the ocean’s vulnerable forage fish populations while increasing their product quality and nutritional value, improving animal welfare, human health, and the health of the planet. It’s a dream job,” Parr said. “I have been fortunate to work with inspiring people and brands in my career. I am my grateful to the industry, especially to a core group who have supported me. We have the opportunity now to break away from the status quo. Demand for seafood is rising, and now is the time to be innovative – even bold – in how we add value and reduce friction all along the supply chain to the fork.”
Veramaris opened its USD 200 million (EUR 177.6 million) commercial-scale production facility in Blair, Nebraska, in July 2019. In October 2020, the company launched Veramaris Pets after it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center of Veterinary Medicine’s Division of Animal Feeds to sell its marine algal oil for dog and cat food in the United States. It also hired Jeff Alix as its global head of business development for companion animals in September 2020, and in November 2020, it hired Nathalie Gross as its senior global communications manager.
That same month, Veramaris was chosen to be the alternative omega-3 feed ingredient partner for System’s Accelerator Project X Global, an innovation accelerator founded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
It partnered with KnowSeafood, a New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based start-up that uses blockchain technology to ensure the traceability of seafood products, in December 2020. And it achieved certification under the joint Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)-Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Seaweed (Algae) Standard in January 2021.
Photo courtesy of Veramaris
