Guy Dean joined the company in 2023 as VP of Partnerships and Acquisitions.
Photo: courtesy of Guy Dean.
A veteran of Canada's seafood industry, Guy Dean joined Coastal Nations Fisheries (CNF) in May 2023 as Vice President of Partnerships and Acquisitions. Almost two years later, the company has decided to promote him and announced his appointment as the new CEO.
"Following an extensive external search, Coastal Nations Fisheries is thrilled to announce the appointment of Guy Dean as CNF's permanent Chief Executive Officer," the company said in a statement.
Dean had been filling the role on an interim basis since July 2024. By offering him the position on a permanent basis, the Indigenous-owned fishing company showed its confidence and acknowledged his work over the past months.
"We are confident that with Guy's humble leadership, we will continue to accomplish great things for the company, its eight shareholder Nations and their citizens," said CNF Board Chair, K'unya Laurie Bevan.
With more than three decades of experience behind him, Guy Dean is a passionate advocate for sustainable seafood consumption and, in particular, the long-term viability of the fishing industry.
In its release announcing the appointment, Coastal Nations Fisheries noted that its new CEO is committed to leading positive change for First Nations involved fisheries and enhancing the communities that rely on this important resource. Previously President and CEO of Organic Ocean, that commitment was precisely what brought him to CNF.
When he was starting out as VP of Partnerships and Acquisitions at Coastal Nations Fisheries, Guy Dean told WeAreAquaculture that it was CNF's ability to transform not only the industry but also coastal communities that made him step up to that new professional challenge at a 100% Indigenous-owned company.
"The ability to be part of a transformative enterprise that has a strong socially oriented backbone especially while the company is still in its infancy was something I wanted to be part of," he said. Focusing on the benefits and impact on the environment, while restoring the livelihoods of indigenous fishermen and building stronger communities, was in line with his own approach.
For him, he explained, these three areas are intertwined dimensions that require an equitable balance between the three Ps: People, Planet and Profit. "Some describe profit as a dirty word, but the reality is that if the company is not profitable, we would not be able to financially support the changes required on the water and in the communities we live and work in," he then concluded.
Now, in his statements after accepting the permanent role as CEO, he spoke along the same lines. "In the short period since our inception, Coastal Nations Fisheries has made enormous progress towards fulfilling our mission of creating a thriving boat-to-table, Indigenous-owned and sustainably operated commercial fishing company," he said.
"I look forward to continuing to push this company forward and am humbled by the Board's belief in my leadership," Guy Dean added.
Collaboratively owned by eight First Nations – Gitga'at, Gitxaała, Haida, Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai'xais, Metlakatla, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv -, Coastal Nations Fisheries is a transformative commercial fishing enterprise working to revitalize community fishing fleets and the livelihoods they provide for families.
By reinvesting profits from commercial fishing and providing ongoing financial support to shareholder Nations and their fishermen, CNF helps maintain healthy and thriving economies for all of them.
Its new CEO - who in 2018 received the 'Seafood Champion Award for Leadership' awarded by the Ocean Foundation - is also an expert advisor to several ocean conservation organizations, including the Global Ghost Gear Initiative.
