Rich Wolverton, hired in April 2022 as executive vice president of sales for the Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A.-based Peter Pan Seafoods, will be leaving the company this month.
Michael Mussell, who was hired at the same time as Wolverton as executive vice president of projects, ingredients, and canning, will help to fill Wolverton's position, according to Peter Pan Chief Growth Officer Rodger May said.
"The leadership team of myself and [Jon] Hickman continue to bolster and build the team and we are evaluating this position. Mussell plays an important role in that."
May said Wolverton was leaving the company for personal reasons.
“Rich’s time at Peter Pan was appreciated by all of Peter Pan staff. We like to believe we host a family first culture here, and when it became apparent that his time away from his home was greater than first anticipated, we mutually respected the drive to be closer to his family in California,” May told SeafoodSource.
A management shake-up has been underway at since it came under new ownership in January 2021. In May 2022, Peter Pan replaced its chief financial officer as Mike Galan took over for Mark Foster, who was hired as Peter Pan’s CFO in March 2021. In March 2021, Peter Pan announced that Barry Collier would step down as CEO, and since then, the company has hired several new executives, including former Silver Bay Seafoods COO Jon Hickman to serve as its vice president of Alaska operations.
In March 2021, Peter Pan lured Kevin Larsen away from Bornstein Seafoods to serve as its vice president of international sales and business development, though Larsen returned to Bornstein Seafoods on 1 March, 2022. In June 2021, it hired Michael De Caro as its new vice president of retail sales and product development. Within the past year, the company made several additional hires to bolster to its finance, development, and sourcing teams.
“Since we took over 20 months ago, the new ownership of Peter Pan has been laser-focused on building a first-class seafood business with the best talent in the business who can dedicate the time and resources in our offices as much as possible,” May said. "We continue to be encouraged by the great team that has joined us, that has stayed with us and with the new potential hires we meet weekly to build strength across a business that for the first time in decades has Alaska- and Seattle-based ownership.” "Change is never easy but Jon Hickman, Mike Galan, Mike Mussell, and other members of the senior team, along with myself, have helped set a new tone and a new vision. We couldn’t be happier with our progress.”
Photo courtesy of Peter Pan Seafoods
