Sjømat Norge strengthens its communications department

Sjømat Norge has announced the hiring of journalist Eirik Koren as communications manager. He will join the communications, policy and strategy department in August. With extensive experience in both media and corporate communications, the Norwegian seafood federation's new recruit has no industry experience, but, as the department's director, Kristin Langeland, pointed out, that is precisely his strength.

"I'm very pleased to have Eirik on the team," Langeland said. "He is an all-rounder in communication and used to the hectic everyday news cycle."

"We also need people from outside the seafood bubble"

With several years of media experience, the new member of Sjømat Norge's communications, politics and strategy department is joining from NRK, Norway's public broadcasting corporation, where he has worked as a journalist and news editor in two stints.

In addition, Koren also has several years of experience in international commercial companies, such as Warner Brothers Discovery, where he was director of sports and production, or the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, where he was communications director. Moreover, he has also worked in a public relations agency.

As mentioned above, Eirik Koren does not have a background in the seafood sector, but Sjømat Norge emphasized that he brings extensive industry experience and organizational knowledge.

"We also need people from outside the seafood bubble — especially when it comes to communicating our world to the general public," Kristin Langeland stated. "I hope Eirik will call us out when we use tribal language," she added.

Building knowledge about the seafood industry in Norway

The new communications manager was delighted with the challenge. "First of all, it is incredibly fun to become part of Sjømat Norge and to get to work with one of Norway's most important industries. It's a genuine privilege. An industry that spans everything from the very local and close-at-hand to the global and high-tech," Eirik Koren said.

"I have a great deal of humility about not coming from the industry. Fortunately, the members and Sjømat Norge are full of experts, and I have no hesitation in asking and digging to understand," Koren added.

According to Sjømat Norge's press release announcing his hiring, he will work alongside Krister Hoaas, who recently moved from the aquaculture department to the communication, policy and strategy department at the Norwegian seafood federation. Both will have a special responsibility for media relations within the organization.

"We have a big job ahead of us in building knowledge about the seafood industry in Norway, and I'm confident that Eirik will contribute very positively to that work," the director of Sjømat Norge communications, policy and strategy department, Kristin Langeland, concluded.

Among the tasks to be tackled by the Norwegian seafood federation is, for example, to deepen the details of the agreement on the proposed new Norwegian aquaculture regulations. Sjømat Norge - whose name can be translated as 'Seafood Norway' - has already expressed its satisfaction with the agreement reached earlier this month by most political parties, but there is still work ahead as, after receiving the backing of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), the regulation has to enter into force within 2 to 4 years.