Kristian Botnen is new CEO of Benchmark Genetics

Leading aquaculture genetics firm Benchmark Genetics has announced it has chosen Kristian Botnen as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from 3 November 2025.

The appointment will see Botnen, an experienced aquaculture executive with a background in finance and banking, move from aquaculture technology specialist AKVA Group, where he has served as Chief Operating Officer for the Sea Based Nordic division since 2022. Prior to this, Botnen held the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at major Norwegian fish farming company Lingalaks.

Announcing the appointment, the Novo Holdings-owned aquaculture genetics firm said Botnen had over the course of his career "consistently delivered operational excellence, exceeded financial and sustainability goals, while building high-performing teams," and said he "will lead Benchmark Genetics into its next phase of growth and innovation as the company continues to strengthen its position as a global leader in aquaculture genetics."

“I am honored to join Benchmark Genetics at such an exciting time for the company and the industry. Benchmark Genetics has an exceptional team, cutting-edge science, and a strong global footprint," Botnen said via a press release.

"I look forward to building on this foundation to deliver even greater value to our customers, enhance sustainability across aquaculture, and strengthen our role as a trusted partner to the industry," he added.

Aleks Engel, Partner at Novo Holdings, said Botnen "combines commercial, operational, and financial acumen with deep industry knowledge."

"We are confident that Kristian, together with the rest of the management team, will lead Benchmark Genetics into a new and exciting era capitalizing on new genomic breeding technologies, and enabling our customers to feed the world more efficiently and sustainably. We look forward to seeing the long-term partnerships with Benchmark Genetics’ global customer base growing even deeper over the coming years," Engel continued.

Benchmark Genetics became an independent company as part of Novo Holdings investment portfolio at the end of March 2025, and since then the firm has announced a series of changes to its senior leadership team.

In May, Benchmark Genetics announced that its CEO Geir Olav Melingen, formerly Head of the Genetics division at Benchmark Holdings before the sale to Novo Holdings, was stepping down. In the same month, the company confirmed it had appointed Dr. Ross Houston as its new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Jon Crowther as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).