Arctic Fish, the Icelandic salmon producer owned by Mowi, announced two new additions to its management team. The first, John Gunnar Grindskar has been appointed Chief Operating Officer for Aquaculture (COO Farming) and will start in his new position this week, on Friday, December 1. The second, Baldur Smári Einarsson has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective January 1 next year.
The new COO Farming, John Gunnar Grindskar, has extensive experience in aquaculture. He started his career at Mowi in 1992 and since then has held various positions in aquaculture throughout Norway, most recently as regional manager for Mowi in Central Norway. He comes, therefore, from the company owner of Arctic Fish and arrives at a delicate time, following recent problems with escapes and sea lice.
As mentioned, Grindskar will take up his duties in his new position on December 1. From then on, all of the company's salmon and trout farming operations will be under his leadership, including those of Egill Ólafsson, who is responsible for trout farming, and Rikke Malene Pedersen in salmon farming. "We are particularly pleased to have John Gunnar join our team. His experience and knowledge will greatly contribute to the company's growth in the upcoming development," Stein Ove Tveiten, CEO of Arctic Fish, stated about the new CCO Farming.
"Iceland is a relatively new aquaculture nation with continuously increasing production and significant growth opportunities," said John Gunnar Grindskar commenting on his new position. "Arctic Fish has a solid foundation, controlling the entire value chain from farms to finished products, which presents tremendous opportunities. The main task will be to continue developing operations and ensuring the best possible practices with a focus on animal welfare and sustainability. I am looking forward to participating in the exciting journey ahead."
Baldur Smári Einarsson, for his part, is not new to the company as he has been working at Arctic Fish since 2019 as a specialist in the finance department. Einarsson holds a Cand. Oecon degree in Business Economics from the University of Iceland with a focus on auditing and has extensive experience in finance and auditing. The new Chief Financial Officer will take up his new position as of January 1, taking over from Shirani Þórissyni, who resigned in August but has remained available to the company until a suitable replacement was found.
"We are very pleased that Baldur Smári has agreed to take on the role of CFO of the company. He has been with the company for several years and is familiar with the company and has the experience and knowledge we were looking for," said CEO Stein Ove Tveiten in assessing the promotion.
"I am grateful for the trust that the company's management has shown me by entrusting me with this important position," Baldur Smári Einarsson stated for his part. "Arctic Fish has all the potential to grow and thrive, and there is an exciting journey ahead. I was born and raised in the Westfjords and have seen how aquaculture has significantly changed the communities here."
Arctic Fish is one of Iceland's largest salmon farming companies. Owned by Mowi since the end of 2022, it operates in the country's West Fjords and holds licenses for 27,100 metric tons of salmon and trout production. Recognized as one of Iceland's leading salmon producers, the company has a sustainable licensing framework, actively operates in four fjords, and has applications for an additional fjord, which could bring total capacity to 31,900 tons in the coming years.