Another new Sales Manager for Norwegian cod producer Ode

Norway's cod producer Ode announced today the appointment of Vianney Pons as one of its new Sales Managers. With extensive and varied experience in the seafood industry, his appointment follows that of another senior sales executive, Tone Hellesvik, who was named on the last day of September.

Engineering degree, Pons has worked in different positions and with different companies in the seafood industry throughout his career which began as a buyer of farmed fish such as salmon, trout, and seabass at the French company Pomona.

Then, he spent five years at Scapmaree - the central purchasing department for the also French supermarket and hypermarket chain E.Leclerc -, first overseeing the purchase of fillets and loins, before moving on to the role of head of the wild fish department.

This varied and extensive background has given him a solid understanding of the seafood industry, more specifically of the French market. According to Ode's announcement, this makes him a valuable addition to the cod producer's sales team, as he will contribute to boosting the company's international growth.

While fellow newcomer Tone Hellesvik will be responsible for further developing Ode's farmed cod sales for the North American and Nordic markets, as mentioned above, Vianney Pons will lead the company's further expansion in the French and Benelux markets where, as part of the sales team, he will focus on developing sales and strengthening the customer portfolio.

"With Ode's strong focus on quality and innovation, we are well-positioned to succeed in both the French and Benelux markets. I look forward to using my experience to deliver great results for the company and our customers," Pons said, commenting on his appointment.

"Vianney's broad experience and deep knowledge of the seafood industry will be a great advantage for driving further growth in Europe," added Ode's CEO, Ola Kvalheim. And the truth is the company is growing steadily.

Moreover the additions to the sales team, earlier this year we had already learned of other appointments at Ode such as Thor Arne Hangstad as Head of Juveniles, or Kenneth Schaug-Pettersen as CFO.

Previously, the company had been awarded a new site, adding volume and flexibility to its production capacity, and had taken a definite step towards a fully integrated value chain after acquiring the Vartdal processing plant, previously owned by Måsøval.

This value chain has recently been further strengthened with the addition of the world's first wellboat dedicated to cod, the Ronja Ode, the result of a partnership between the Norwegian cod farmer and the leading wellboat company Sølvtrans.