High Liner Foods appoints Kimberly Stephens as new CFO

Leading Canadian value-added frozen seafood company High Liner Foods has announced it has appointed Kimberly Stephens as its new Chief Financial Officer.

The new CFO will begin immediately, following the news that Darryl Bergman is leaving the company. Bergman, former former finance chief at Clearwater Seafoods, who joined High Liner as CFO in July 2024, will be continuing in an advisory capacity until 3 October, the company said.

A chartered professional account who began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Stephens brings over 25 years of experience to her new role, most recently leading High Liner Foods' corporate finance team in her capacity as Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations for the past three years. Before joining High Liner, Stephens was VP Finance at Acadian Seaplants and previously served as CFO for over ten years at two publicly-traded companies.

"Kimberly is a proven leader who brings deep knowledge of our business and strong financial expertise to the role," said Paul Jewer, President and Chief Executive Officer of High Liner Foods, in a press release announcing the appointment.

"She is very well placed to now serve as our Chief Financial Officer, and I am confident she will play a key role in our continued success as we advance our ambitious growth agenda. On behalf of the Board and our team, I would like to thank Darryl for his contributions to High Liner Foods. We wish him all the best in his next chapter," Jewer added.

Stephens said she was "honoured" to take on the role, describing it as "an exciting time for High Liner Foods."

"We have a strong and resilient business today. As a trusted source of healthy and sustainable protein, we have significant potential for further growth in a fragmented and dynamic global seafood industry. I look forward to working with our talented team to create value for our shareholders and support the continued success of High Liner Foods," Stephens said.

In February this year, High Liner Foods announced it was making further strategic investments in Norwegian aquaculture companies Norcod and Andfjord Salmon, investing approximately $6.75 million in the cod farming firm and $10 million in the land-based salmon farmer.

In June, High Liner announced it had signed a $55 million purchase agreement with Conagra to acquire the U.S. frozen seafood brands Mrs. Paul's and Van de Kamp's.

In the same month, it emerged that former Chief Strategy Director of Grieg Seafood Nina Stangeland was joining High Liner Foods as Managing Director Salmon, having announced her departure from the Norwegian seafood firm in April.