Ellie Johansen, incoming Head of Aquaculture at Sjømatbedriftene.
Photo: Sjømatbedriftene.
The Association of Norwegian Seafood Companies, Sjømatbedriftene, announced yesterday the appointment of Ellie Johansen as its new Head of Aquaculture. "I'm looking forward to becoming part of Sjømatbedriftene. As Head of Aquaculture, I can help highlight what truly matters for the future of this incredibly important industry," she said, commenting on her incoming role.
In the statement announcing the appointment, Norway's seafood trade body noted that Johansen knows the industry very well, having grown up "on the edge of the fish cages" along the Trøndelag coast, in an "aquaculture family" before earning a degree in marine biology.
Likewise, Sjømatbedriftene also highlighted that Johansen, who will start her new role after Easter, has previously served as industry leader for the seafood initiative at the international consulting and auditing company BDO and, most recently, as CEO of the NCE Aquatech Cluster, one of the world's biggest clusters operating within the aquaculture sector.
Today, one day after Sjømatbedriftene's announcement, the Norwegian Aquaculture Technology Cluster has also published a statement on Ellie Johansen's decision to resign from her position as CEO. In it, the Chair of the Board, Hans Bjelland, thanked her for her achievements during her tenure and highlighted her commitment and ability to bring together the cluster's stakeholders.
"Ellie has been an important driving force in the development of the cluster. She has strengthened collaboration among the members and helped set the direction for our work," Bjelland stated in today's release.
Johansen, for her part, described the decision as a difficult one and emphasized how much she has appreciated the environment she has been part of. "It has been a privilege to work with so many skilled and generous people. I am grateful for the trust and the energy that characterize the cluster—among the members, the administration, and the Board," she said.
Meanwhile, at her incoming destination in Sjømatbedriftene, CEO Robert H. Eriksson was delighted to have her join the team and convinced that her experience and track record will bring strength and momentum to the organization's management.
"With Ellie on the team, we strengthen the professional side of Sjømatbedriftene within aquaculture and can put even more pressure on our work to improve the conditions and framework terms for Norway's largest food-producing industry," said Eriksson.
"I'm very much looking forward to having her on board. With her broad experience, combined with the strong professional expertise she possesses, she will be able to help make Sjømatbedriftene even more relevant and contribute to lifting the industry in the right direction," he concluded.
Regarding her new position, Ellie Johansen stated that she is excited to start in the role and have the opportunity to leave her mark, as it is an organization that manages to initiate change processes and help shape important issues for the aquaculture industry.
"I see Sjømatbedriftene as a forward-looking organisation that wants to contribute to change for its member companies and for the industry in general," said the incoming Head of Aquaculture at the seafood business organisation.
"We are in a very exciting time for the industry. The political handling of the aquaculture white paper will be extremely important for all of us," she continued, referring to the new management system proposed by the Norwegian government a few months ago, which shifts the focus from quantity to sustainability.
"We are experiencing increasingly unpredictable framework conditions for the seafood industry, and major changes are underway that are altering ownership structures in a number of companies. A lot is happening right now, and it's a good opportunity to help contribute to an even better seafood industry," Johansen added.
Among these new regulations are, for example, the new incentive scheme to speed up shift to closed containment aquaculture—which Sjømatbedriftene described as a step in the right direction, but not ambitious enough—and the Norwegian government's policy on offshore aquaculture—on which the seafood trade association called for predictability and large development areas.
Against this backdrop, Ellie Johansen wants to help foster even better dialogue between authorities and the various stakeholders in the Norwegian seafood industry, and to bring forward the important issues and discussions that industry players care about.
"As I see it, an important part of the job going forward will be to bring the industry and the authorities together around a shared ambition. The aquaculture industry is so much more than the top management of the companies. It consists of a complex value chain and creates significant ripple effects, especially in coastal communities but also elsewhere," Johansen explained.
"We must highlight this in a new way and ensure that both the authorities and society gain better knowledge of what the seafood industry means for Norway and the world," she continued.
"It's about building understanding, creating pride, and showing that together we can shape the future of food production from the sea," concluded the incoming Head of Aquaculture at Sjømatbedriftene.
While she outlines the steps to be taken in her future role, the NCE Aquatech Cluster has begun the process of finding a successor for her former position. "Now it's about finding a leader who can build on what we have achieved and take the cluster into its next phase," said its Chair, Hans Bjelland.