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].
– Grocery wholesaler United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has appointed David Best to serve as the company’s president and CEO of retail, effective 17 August.
UNFI said Best will be responsible for creating a retail growth strategy for the company, which distributes a variety of fresh, branded, and own-brand products to more than 30,000 different locations in North America.
“David’s track record of driving retail innovation, his deep industry expertise, and his shopper-centric approach make him an ideal leader to help us write the next chapter of success for our retail business,” UNFI CEO Sandy Douglas said in a release.
Prior to his time at UNFI, Best was the COO of Coborn’s Inc., served as the senior vice president of omnichannel and strategic capabilities for General Mills, and spent 19 years with retailer Target across a number of different roles.
“I’m excited to join UNFI and accelerate the retail business during such a pivotal time for the company,” Best said.
– Highwood Harbor, a seafood industry holding company led by Jordan Mazzetta, has appointed Stephen “Felzy” Felsenthal as its chief commercial officer (CCO).
Felsenthal most recently served as the vice president of sales and global procurement for Riverence Provisions and has more than 15 years of sales experience in the seafood industry. In his new role, Felsenthal will oversee the sales, marketing, customer experience, and product development at Highwood Harbor’s companies – Eddie M’s and more recently acquired Nova Seafood.
"We are thrilled to welcome Felzy to Highwood Harbor," Mazzetta, who is the CEO of Highwood Harbor, said. "He brings a wealth of expertise and a bold vision that will not only accelerate our growth trajectory but also reinforce our commitment to delivering unparalleled value to our customers and partners. I am excited about the innovation and momentum we will generate under Felzy's leadership."
– New Zealand seafood brand Cloudy Bay Clams – which operates the country’s only commercial wild surf clam fishery – has appointed Tom Muollo as the head of the company and George Manettas as the head marketer.
The Muollo family acquired Cloudy Bay Clams out of receivership through a holding company called CBC Seafoods in December 2024.
“We’re excited to take Cloudy Bay Clams into its next chapter,” Manettas said. “This brand has a legacy, and we’re focused on making it more accessible to chefs and markets across the region.”
The company said under the new leadership, it will aim to ramp up industry engagement through tastings in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, Australia, as well as Singapore, and plans to participate in hospitality trade shows.
– The Woodlands, Texas, U.S.A.-based Fortifi Food Processing Solutions has appointed Alison Gavin to the position of chief people officer, effective 1 August.
Gavin has more than 20 years of human resources experience. She served as managing director, talent partner, and head of people at Distill Ventures, an independent accelerator for the drinks industry, and as vice president of talent management and organizational development at Suntory Global Spirits.
“As Fortifi continues to grow, Alison’s analytical mindset and people-first approach will be instrumental in shaping a strong, collaborative culture across our organization,” Fortifi CEO Massimo Bizzi said. “Her global perspective and passion for scalable, inclusive HR practices align with our values as an employee-owned company.”
Fortifi is a manufacturer of automated food-processing equipment and automation solutions and offers solutions for bulk freezing and coating, hand-held trimmers for precision slicing, and full smoking and cooking systems for further processing.
