Lisa Wehrman is seafood category manager for finfish at Rosemont, Illinois, U.S.A.-based US Foods, a leading food distributor servicing restaurants and other foodservice operations.
SeafoodSource: What was the path, especially as it relates to seafood, that brought you to where you are today?
Wehrman: I have led many different category functions during the course of my 16-year career. From my work at Target and Sears that helped me fine-tune the importance of category strategy and management to my five years at US Foods leading many different foodservice categories, my work overseeing the seafood category and more specifically, finfish, has been the most rewarding because I know I am making a positive impact every day on the long-term sustainability of seafood for years to come.
SeafoodSource: What does your job entail?
Wehrman: I am responsible for developing and managing the national category strategy for finfish at US Foods. This includes developing strategic plans for the long-term and short-term objectives that tie back to both our customer needs and our sustainability goals. A large part of my responsibility is also staying up-to-date on the emerging species that are driving evolving menu trends in the foodservice industry. As different species rise in popularity with our customers and their diners, I look for ways to bring these items to our customers in a responsible and sustainable manner through the partnerships we have with sustainable fisheries.
The most innovative and on-trend offerings will typically launch in our US Foods Scoop Magazine and this allows us to highlight the sustainable attributes of the products and tell a deeper story about our partners commitments to sustainable sourcing methods.
SeafoodSource: What parts of your job do you enjoy most?
Wehrman: Working directly with our customers to bring them innovative solutions that speak directly to their challenges is something that drives me. I enjoy positively impacting the industry through the work I do around sustainability. It’s a very interesting industry that I am proud to be a part of. Whenever I tell someone I work in seafood, they always have a lot of questions and I’m always proud to discuss the many areas of my work with them.
SeafoodSource: What special skills or traits are needed to be successful in your position?
Wehrman: Having a growth mindset is critical. The industry is constantly evolving and there are always new and unique challenges to face, so it is important to ask questions and be open to a constant stream of learning. Building a network of resources both inside and outside of the seafood industry that I can learn from has played an important role in my ability to build our short- and long-term strategies.
SeafoodSource: What's the most challenging part of your job?
Wehrman: One of the biggest opportunities in the industry is continued education and myth-busting. There are many misconceptions about farmed fish, wild compared to farmed, and even frozen fish. I enjoy educating our customers on the key differences as well as key opportunities within the various categories.
SeafoodSource: When you get together with others in the seafood industry, what's the first topic of conversation these days?
Wehrman: Technology is the No. 1 topic – and there is quite the variety of things going on that are exciting technological advances for our trade. Traceability, feed, recirculating aquaculture systems, farming new species, blockchain, catch methods and equipment, manufacturing capabilities, packaging, shelf life, handheld testing devices – the list goes on. There are numerous companies investing in technologies to make the seafood industry stronger and it has been intriguing to watch companies that were traditionally focused in other industries make advancements in ours.
SeafoodSource: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Wehrman: My parents were both principals. This is likely where I got my life-long love of learning from.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Wehrman
