Iceland's LAXEY appoints new CFO, as smolt station becomes fully operational

Icelandic land-based salmon farming company LAXEY has welcomed its new CFO to the team this week, announcing the appointment of Hörður Orri Grettisson.

"Hörður holds a BSc in Business from the University of Iceland and a Master's degree in Economics from Aarhus BSS. He has extensive experience in management," the company stated in a LinkedIn post announcing the appointment.

Among his prior roles, Grettison was most recently general manager of Icelandic ferry company Herjólfur, and was also previously head of finance at Icelandic fishing company Ísfélag Vestmannaeyja, one of the country's oldest seafood companies, established in 1901.

"A native of Vestmannaeyjar, Hörður has deep roots in the community. He has been actively involved in various local initiatives. His profound understanding of the community's values and spirit makes him a perfect addition to our team," the company said. "Some say it was destined, given his initials are HOG, but either way, we're thrilled to have him on our team."

"Hörður is the right choice for LAXEY. His strong connection to the community, coupled with his extensive leadership experience, makes him qualified to drive our mission forward," commented LAXEY CEO, Daði Pálsson.

Grettisson is set to begin in his new position after completing his notice period with Herjólfur, LAXEY confirmed.

LAXEY is constructing a 32,000-tonne Atlantic salmon land-based farming facility in the Westman Islands in southern Iceland, and recently announced its smolt station is now fully operational, "ensuring that our operations can now run at full capacity".

Calling the news a "milestone moment", LAXEY confirmed that the first batch of salmon smolt has been transferred to the final RAS unit, "making every system in the smolt station fully functional".

"As always, huge credit goes to the team for their hard work and preparation to ensure everything went smoothly. The batch is thriving and now entering its final stages before being transferred to the Grow-out site in Viðlagafjara," the company said in a LinkedIn update at the end of August.