The Kingfish Company has chosen Vincent Erenst to serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. The new CEO will take over from Hans den Bieman, who has held the position on an interim basis since Ohad Maiman, the company's founder, stepped aside from the position last November.
Erenst, who brings over 35 years of experience leading aquaculture companies and a history of driving performance improvements and value creation in the industry, will assume the role on February 6th, 2023. Previously, The Kingfish Company will recommend Erenst's appointment as CEO at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in early 2023.
Jeroen Scheelbeek, Chairman of The Kingfish Company, shared his enthusiasm for Erenst's appointment, saying, "We are delighted to propose Vincent Erenst as the new CEO of The Kingfish Company. His impressive track record and experience make him a strong choice to lead the company to the next level of performance. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I welcome Vincent to this new role and wish him every success as he helps shape the future of The Kingfish Company and strengthens its position in the market".
Erenst has held various leadership positions in the aquaculture industry, including Chief Operating Officer at Barramundi Group and COO of Avramar, as well as serving as Managing Director of Mowi Canada West for over a decade. He brings a wealth of international, operational, and transformational experience to his new role at The Kingfish Company.
In turn, he also expressed his excitement about the opportunity. "I am thrilled to take on this new challenge and responsibility. The Kingfish Company is poised for growth with its exceptional products, advanced RAS technology, and dedicated team. I am honored to lead such a talented team and will work hard to help The Kingfish Company reach even greater heights in the coming years", Erenst said.
The new CEO comes to a company where, lately, everything has been good news: a 90% increase in sales, final approval to build a plant in Maine, and even the entry of major new investors such as Stolt Nielsen. As Ohad Maiman explained to WeAreAquaculture after announcing that he was stepping down, "the company is in a strong position and has excellent prospects ahead".
As a pioneer in the field of sustainable land-based aquaculture, The Kingfish Company has established itself as a leader in the industry. Its Kingfish Zeeland facility in the Netherlands currently has an annual production capacity of 1,500 tons of high-quality and high-value Yellowtail Kingfish, with expansion plans underway to increase capacity to 3,500 tons in Q1 2023. In addition, the company's Kingfish Maine facility has obtained all necessary permits from local, state, and federal regulatory agencies.
