Barramundi Group has announced that James Kwan has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer effective 1 January 2023. The appointment follows the resignation of Andreas von Scholten who has been the company's CEO since November 2019. Mr. von Scholten has accepted the nomination to join the company's Board and will transition to the new role as Director effective 1 January 2023.
Mr. Kwan has more than 15 years of senior management experience predominantly within the marketing and food and beverage sectors. In a previous role, Mr. Kwan created the Company's Kühlbarra brand and laid the foundation for the e-commerce business.
Mr. Kwan has been with Barramundi Group as a member of the Executive Management Team since December 2019, first in a role as Chief Marketing Officer, and from June 2020 also overseeing the farming and processing operations in Singapore. Earlier in 2022, Mr. Kwan took on a concurrent role as General Manager of Singapore, with responsibilities spanning broodstock, grow-out, processing, and commercial operations.
Firstly, Kwan stated: "I thank the Board for the trust placed in me to lead the Company at a juncture where it is continuing to execute strategic and tactical operational changes that will lead us towards profitability. On the commercial front, we need to re-assert our brands, innovate and excite the market once again with creative offerings that have defined our earlier successes."
On the other hand, Hans den Bieman, Chairman of the Board said: "James is an excellent leader with strong credentials and a long list of achievements within the company, and I am very pleased that he has accepted the appointment as the new CEO of Barramundi Group."
Finally, Kwan concluded: "The megatrend towards food security and the demand for responsibly produced proteins has only strengthened through the pandemic. Our position as a leader in sustainable barramundi aquaculture in Asia remains unchanged. Our Company remains poised for strong future growth being at the doorstep of the world's next growth engine. I have enjoyed working with Andreas these past 3 years. I welcome his decision to join the Board."
"It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Barramundi Group since November 2019. I look very much forward to continuing working with James and the Company in my new role as Director. The Company has been through a major transformation in recent years. Now, it is progressing well on the strategy leading to profitability," said Andreas von Scholten.
The Australian Government announced an inversion of $30 million to develop the world's largest indoor bio-secure aquaculture facility. The aim is to grow and process sustainable Australian barramundi, in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria.
Barramundi Group brings great-tasting premium quality fish to the world, with sustainability at its core. The Group's mission is to help close the world's protein gap by tapping into the potential of barramundi.
Their sustainable best practices enable them to produce responsibly-farmed barramundi while safeguarding the world's oceans and environmental resources.
The Group operates with comprehensive in-house capabilities ranging from vaccine development, end-product innovation, and processing, to hatchery facilities.
