The Kingfish Company's land-based farming site in Zeeland, Netherlands.
Photo: The Kingfish Company.
The Netherlands-based The Kingfish Company announced changes in the Supervisory Board. The Nomination Committee has proposed Xavier Govare to join as a new member after Alexandre van der Wees announced that he would step down from the Supervisory Board after the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The appointment, along with the reappointments to the Supervisory Board of Jordi Trias Fita - President at Stolt Sea Farm - and Hans den Bieman - Owner at Sealand Aquaculture -, will be proposed at the General Meeting in approximately one month, on June 4, 2025, at which Charles François will also be nominated, in his case as Chairman of the Nominating Committee.
The changes come at a sweet moment for the land-based yellowtail kingfish farmer, which closed 2024 with strong commercial momentum, achieving volume growth of over 60% in the fourth quarter and exceeding 2,000 tons in annual volume shipped for the first time, reinforcing its path to profitability.
As The Kingfish Company noted in the stock exchange release announcing the appointment, Xavier Govare, who currently serves on the boards of several organizations in the agri-food and packaging sectors, is an experienced executive with more than three decades in the food industry, including 15 years as President and CEO of Labeyrie Fine Foods.
During his tenure, he transformed the company into a leading international food group, increasing revenues from EUR 30 million to EUR 1.1 billion and completing multiple strategic acquisitions. Today, the French company is one of Europe's largest salmon processors, also active in the processing of other species such as shrimp or cod, as well as managing a trout farming joint venture, Aqualande.
"Mr. Govare is renowned for his strategic vision, marketing expertise, brand development, financial and operational management. He has extensive experience managing industrial operations across Europe and navigating complex shareholder structures, including listed companies, LBOs, and private ownership," Kingfish said about him.
As said, if his appointment is approved at the Annual General Meeting in June, Xavier Govare will fill the seat on the Supervisory Board left vacant by the resignation of Alexandre van der Wees. The former Investment Director at Creadev and Board Member of Noray Seafood has been CEO of the Danish trout and zander farmer AquaPri since October last year.
"It has been a pleasure and a privilege to follow The Kingfish Company's journey since 2019 as a member of the Supervisory Board. Having recently taken a CEO responsibility in the field of aquaculture, it is now time for me to shift my focus. And I am convinced that my successor will be a strong addition to The Kingfish Company, as a fresh yet very experienced set of new eyes," van der Wees said as farewell.
In addition to these changes, The Kingfish Company also said that Michel de Rovira's mandate as a member and Chairman of the Nomination Committee is up for renewal at the upcoming General Meeting, so the Nomination Committee has proposed Charles François to join as a new member and Chairman. As in the case of Xavier Govare, François' appointment will also be voted on at the AGM in June 2025.
An investment professional with over 15 years of international experience in private equity, corporate strategy, and M&A, Charles François currently serves as Investment Director at Creadev, leading initiatives within the aquaculture platform and the broader food industry. Previously, he held key leadership roles at Roquette, including M&A and Strategy for North America, and Product Line Management for the Asia Pacific region, driving growth through strategic investments and cross-functional planning.
Kingfish also highlighted that François brings deep expertise in private equity from his time at Turenne Capital and FCDE, and a solid foundation in leveraged finance from GE Capital. He is a graduate of EM Lyon Business School and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School.
Commenting on the changes, Jeroen Scheelbeek, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said The Kingfish Company is pleased to propose both Xavier Govare for appointment to the Supervisory Board and Charles Francois as a member and Chairman of the Nomination Committee.
"Xavier brings a wealth of international experience in the food sector, and Charles has a strong background in corporate finance and M&A. We are also pleased to propose the reappointments of Jordi and Hans, recognizing their valuable contributions to the Supervisory Board," he stated.
"We extend our gratitude to Alexandre for his contributions during his tenure on the Supervisory Board and as a member of the Remuneration Committee. His knowledge and experience in the industry have been greatly valued. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors," Jeroen Scheelbeek concluded.
