Presenter Bios c4d73abb
Presenter Bios (In Order of Appearance) Dick Jones is the head of SFP's Major Buyers Education Division which serves to promote the involvement of retailers in fisheries improvement worldwide. Dick has 23 years of experience in the seafood business, which includes 13 years in the supermarket sector. Most recently, he led the seafood program for retailers HEB Grocery Company and Whole Foods Market. He has experience with both the wild catch and aquaculture sectors of the seafood industry. Jackie Ogden, Ph.D. is Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. She works with her team to inspire Disney’s guests, employees and business partners to conserve wildlife and the environment. She is responsible for animal care and health, education and science at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot, the Tri-Circle D Ranch, Castaway Cay, and Aulani, Hawaii’s Disney Vacation Club. She also leads the agriculture and water science team (which includes Epcot Science at The Land and Life Support) and the Walt Disney World Environmental Initiatives team. Additionally, Ogden has responsibility for animal operations and environmental sustainability across Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Prior to her career with Disney’s Animal Programs, she worked for the Zoological Society of San Diego and Zoo Atlanta. Ogden received her Ph.D. in general/experimental psychology, with a specialization in animal behavior, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is an active member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and currently serves on their Board of Directors. Jim Cannon is CEO and founder of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. He has worked on fisheries, forestry and conservation issues in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Jim edited the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s World Review of Marine Fisheries in the late 1990s, advised McDonald’s since 2002 on their fish-sourcing guidelines and annual sourcing evaluations, and advised Wal-Mart on seafood sustainability since 2004. He served on the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Technical Advisory Board from 2005 to 2008, and worked at Conservation International from 1997 to 2006, where he headed the economics program and then the policy center. Jim studied ecology at Cambridge and environmental economics, management and fisheries at Imperial College London. In 2009, Jim was named Intrafish “Person of the Year”. Blake Lee-Harwood leads SFP's Communications and Strategy Division. He has also consulted with SFP on matters relating to feed fisheries and sustainable animal feeds. He has both a BSc and MSc in biological sciences and has worked in senior positions for most of Britain’s environmental campaigning groups. Lee-Harwood worked as the head of the Industry Campaign at Friends of the Earth for several years and subsequently went on to work as a senior communicator for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, a television producer, and a media director on development issues. He spent the period 1999-2007 at Greenpeace UK as Campaign Director developing national and international advocacy strategies around climate change and sustainable development.
Mark MacPherson, Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager North America, is the liaison to SFP’s key commercial partners. Most recently, Mark worked as the Senior Commercial Manager for the Marine Stewardship Council managing the MSC’s key supply chain partnerships (retail, foodservice, processor, & distributor) in the Americas region. Prior to the MSC Mark worked for 11 years with Clearwater Seafoods, one of Canada’s leading seafood companies. During his time at Clearwater Mark worked in a variety of sales and marketing roles including, international sales and service representative (for live lobsters), U.S. National Retail Accounts Manager, Business Development Manager for the Clam division, & Director of North American Asian Sales. Mark is based in Nova Scotia, Canada and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University with a major in marketing. Christiane Schmidt is Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager Europe for SFP. She has a BSc. in marine biology and a M.Sc in tropical aquatic ecology with an emphasis on coastal zone management. She has extensive experience in working with all levels of the supply chain in the global marine aquarium trade to cope with sustainability and traceability issues. Christiane has a strong personal interest in balancing business with conservation of the marine world. She applies her expertise when liaising with seafood supply chains to ensure a healthy future of the industry and our oceans. Kathryn Novak is Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager North America for SFP. She is the liaison to SFP’s North American retail partners and supports fishery improvement efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. Most recently, Kathryn worked as the Sustainable Seafood Program Manager at Ocean Conservancy where she was responsible for developing and managing relationships with major seafood buyers, wholesalers, distributors, and fishermen to coordinate engagement in Ocean Conservancy’s fisheries initiatives in the Gulf of Mexico. Originally from Saratoga, New York, Kathryn has a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from the State University of New York at Albany. She is based in Tampa, Florida. Robert Fields is Senior Director for fresh meat, seafood and gourmet deli at Sam’s Club. A division of Walmart, Sam’s Club is the United States’ eighth-largest retailer and a leading membership club with locations in the U.S., Brazil, China and Mexico. Walmart and Sam’s are requiring their seafood products to be certified sustainable to Marine Stewardship Council, Best Aquaculture Practices or equivalent standards. Bob joined Sam’s Club in 1998, as a Fresh Meat buyer. He has held various roles with the company including: Fresh Seafood Buyer, Frozen Seafood and Protein Buyer and Senior Buyer Fresh Meat and Seafood. David Smith is Vice President of Sustainability at Sobeys Inc. a Canadian supermarket company with about 1400 stores across the country and $16 billion in annual revenue. David leads Sobeys sustainability direction, covering direct operations (retails stores, fleets, warehouses) and product sourcing (including sustainable seafood, agriculture, packaging, social compliance, animal welfare). He also participates in numerous Canadian, North American, and global sustainability committees, including with The Consumer Goods Forum and the Global Social Compliance Program. In his previous position with Sobeys, David was General Manager of its new small urban store concept. Prior to Sobeys, David was National VP of Marketing for Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas, during which time he was on the Organic Trade Association marketing committee, was on the inaugural Wi-Fi industry marketing committee while with a California-based wireless networking start-up, was with McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, and was with a developing country master franchisee for Pizza Hut and KFC. David has an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a MBA.
Bill DiMento oversees all of High Liner Foods’ corporate-level sustainability initiatives, ensuring that the company is reducing its overall environmental footprint and complying with the strictest standards of seafood procurement. Under Bill’s leadership, the company continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainable practices by increasing the amount of products that are certified sustainable and reducing packaging and food waste, as well as lowering energy and water usage across the company. Bill DiMento has held key positions at High Liner Foods, Inc. since 1987, including Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, Director of International Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, and most recently, Senior Director of Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs. DiMento is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists, Past U.S. Representative to CODEX, and has been named chairman of the NFI Technical Committee. DiMento has been named to the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fish Inspectors and the Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference. Howard Johnson is Director of Global Programs and has been with SFP since its founding. He has over 40 years’ experience in all facets of the seafood industry. As a consultant, he has provided analysis on global seafood trends, planning, marketing and market research. His clients have included major U.S. government and international agencies, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, leading seafood corporations and commodity marketing organizations. He is the former editor and publisher of "The Annual Report on the United States Seafood Industry", an authoritative reference on seafood trends. Howard has also served on the Board of Directors of the National Fisheries Institute, Technical Advisory Board of the Marine Stewardship Council and the Conservation Committee of the Sea Change Investment Fund LLC. In 2010 he was named a “seafood champion” by the Seafood Choices Alliance and a Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures. Melanie Siggs is a Senior Advisor to both SFP and to The Prince of Wales' International Sustainability Unit. She enjoyed an extensive, international, corporate career, primarily in natural capital based sectors such as timber, paper and food, where she developed key skills in systems thinking, strategic vision, positioning, policy and reputation management. Melanie moved from the commercial to the non-profit sector when she joined global conservation group SeaWeb in 2005. As a Vice President of SeaWeb, she led their seafood markets based work around the world, engaging throughout the value chain and vertically with policy makers, standard setters and regulators across both wild capture and farmed fish products. Her corporate, markets and NGO experience is complimented with a Masters degree in Responsibility & Business Practice (MSc). Iain Pollard is Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager Europe for SFP. He has over 10 years’ experience of the global fisheries and aquaculture industry plus a Masters degree in Fisheries Economics. Previous projects include policy advice, economic impact assessment for authorities as well as sustainable seafood sourcing advice to retailers, processors and fishing companies. As a trained auditor Iain has carried out sustainability audits globally for chain of custody certification, full-chain traceability and SA 8000 social criteria. He has managed MSC certifications since 2001 and been the marketing manager for a fishing company exporting seafood to Europe and the USA. Matt Elliott is a Principal at California Environmental Associates, a small environmental consulting firm based in San Francisco. At CEA, Matt works with foundations and non-profits on strategic planning, particularly in the marine conservation and climate arenas. Matt also serves as the Conservation Director of the Sea Change Investment Fund, a $20M venture capital fund focused on sustainable seafood. Matt has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University and a master's degree in Environmental Change and Management from Oxford University.
Mike Norton is Vice President and General Manager of North Atlantic Seafood, Inc. (NAI). NAI is a primary processor, direct importer, and master distributor of both Fresh and Frozen seafood products. Founded and based on the Commercial Fish Pier in Portland, Maine, NAI has expanded to include owning and operating its own processing plant in Benoa, Indonesia. As general manager, Mike is responsible for NAI’s US operations, supply chain and overall quality control. Mike’s experiences growing up in a Maine fishing family and 8 years of supply chain management with a leading international retail grocery chain uniquely qualify him for the challenges of doing business in the global seafood market. Braddock Spear is Director of SFP's Metrics Program. For 8 years before coming to SFP, Braddock worked at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (US) ending his tenure as Senior Coordinator for Policy. At the Commission, Brad developed an expertise in the US fisheries management system, coordinated the legislative program, and initiated collaborative efforts involving government, industry, and NGOs. With SFP, Braddock directs several programs including Metrics, the CEO’s Office, and the Atlantic Menhaden FIP. He received a MA in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Doug Beveridge joined SFP after nearly a decade of work at the UK National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations. Prior to that, Doug was at the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, Scotland, Fisheries Resources Section for 14 years. He studied at Hull International Fisheries Institute. Doug has been involved in the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, developing the interface between the fisheries science community and the industry via science partnerships, working with European Regional Advisory Councils and representing European fishers within science and environmental forum. Doug leads SFP's division on fisheries and aquaculture improvement as well as global programs like ocean acidification and seafood sector work.
Ed Rhodes is the Vice President for Sustainability and Aquaculture Development for Phillips Foods in Baltimore where he is responsible for aquaculture development of finfish and shellfish and for developing and executing a responsible seafood sourcing program. His responsibilities also extend to corporate responsibility reporting in areas such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource use. Ed is a well-respected marine biologist with more than 40 years of experience in shellfish biology, fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood sustainability. He has worked in aquaculture research for the Federal government and in the private sector he has developed major aquaculture projects in South America and Asia. Ed served for four years as the aquaculture coordinator for NOAA Fisheries as part of their Sustainable Fisheries Division in their Silver Spring headquarters. He was the first Executive Director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, a position he held until he came to Phillips in 2007. At Phillips Ed chairs the Sustainable Sourcing Evaluation Team (ASSET) which guides company policy and procurement to ensure responsible seafood sourcing. Ed also chairs the NFI Crab Council, guiding major international seafood companies in their efforts to address the sustainability of crab fisheries. Ed serves on the Advisory Board for the Maryland Sea Grant College Program and is part of an international team evaluating the effects of ocean acidification on marine resources. Nigel Edwards was appointed Technical Director and executive of Seachill in 2007, having joined Seachill when the company was formed in 1998. The group role is chairing the Icelandic Group Sustainability Leadership Team joining together the individuals who lead the sustainability agenda in the group companies. The team are responsible for the group environmental and CSR policies and the
management of centrally coordinated projects, notably the current MSC assessment of the Icelandic cod and haddock fisheries. Nigel acts as the principle spokesperson with the global stakeholder NGO’s and represents both Icelandic Group and Seachill within various industry organisations. Nigel is a member of the AIPCE-CEP sustainability committee and was one of the authors of the Principles for Environmentally Responsible Fish Sourcing. He is also a member of the GlobalGAP Aquaculture committee and of the UK Food and Drink Federation Seafood Group steering committee and he chaired a working group in the European Aquaculture Technology Platform. Nigel’s passion and commitment to working in the field of seafood sustainability started with his education at Plymouth Polytechnic in Fishery Science. The most significant step change in his engagement was at the birth of the MSC in 1996/97 when Nigel worked with Carl Christian Schmidt in the initial years to establish and chair the first MSC stakeholder group. More recently Seachill were founder members of the now thriving UK Common Language Group and Nigel is participating in setting up the auditing protocols for the ASC. Tj Tate is the Executive Director of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. Her experience includes research that contributed to fisheries management plans in California, white seabass and juvenile lemon shark research and the design of the first conservation bank in northeast Florida. She has been an environmental professional for over 15 years and has worked to strengthen our nation’s fisheries since 1998. As Executive Director, she works closely with the Alliance’s Board of Directors and diverse groups of fishermen, communities, environmental groups, and decision-makers to define and implement the Alliance’s priorities and goals and strengthen the reef fish industry to achieve sustainability and accountability using the fisheries management tool of catch shares. She also has the privilege of serving on several Gulf Council advisory panels. Tj completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Florida State University and pursued her Masters of Science in Marine Science at the University of San Diego. Ian Carr is Group Marketing Director for EWOS, a leading supplier of feed and nutrition to the international aquaculture industry. Before this appointment in March 2011, he was Senior Advisor to Cermaq ASA (owner of EWOS) where he worked with corporate sustainability reporting. He has been employed in Cermaq group since 1999, before which he was a fish farm manager. Ian holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Strathclyde Business School in Scotland and has also pursued studies in aquaculture. Ian is based in Scotland, UK. Alan Craig is Vice President of Sales for True Nature Salmon, a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture. Prior to joining True North Salmon, Alan was the East Coast Manager for Heritage Aquaculture where he gained extensive experience in the processing and sale of farm-raised Atlantic salmon. Alan joined Cooke Aquaculture in June 2000 and now oversees Cooke’s expanding team of sales professionals in major centers in the United States, Canada and Asia. The sales and marketing division, the True North Salmon Company, is an industry leader in delivering fresh, farmed salmon to market, producing salmon in Chile, Canada, and Maine. Alan also manages Ocean to Ocean, and international seafood importer and marketer. He currently sits on the board for the Canadian Seafood Value Chain Roundtable of the Government of Canada and he is passionate about selling healthy, sustainable, worldclass seafood.
Jason Paine is the General Manager for Multiexport Foods USA located in Miami Florida. Multiexport Foods, USA is wholly owned subsidiary of Multiexport Foods S.A.; a leading Chilean Salmon Farming Company. Jason is responsible for overseeing all sales of Multiexport fresh, frozen and smoked salmon products to the US and Canada, with annual sales in excess of $100 million. Sales focus is on long-term partnerships with national retail and foodservice clients. Jason has been involved in the Aquaculture Industry for over 22 years working on the technical side earlier in his career with Sea Farms of Florida, and for the past 20 years focused on the sales and marketing of fresh, frozen and smoked farmed salmon products, both in commodity and the development of consumer branded products. Jason Paine holds a Master of Business Administration degree in International Business from University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aquaculture Technology from Florida Institute of Technology.
Mark MacPherson, Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager North America, is the liaison to SFP’s key commercial partners. Most recently, Mark worked as the Senior Commercial Manager for the Marine Stewardship Council managing the MSC’s key supply chain partnerships (retail, foodservice, processor, & distributor) in the Americas region. Prior to the MSC Mark worked for 11 years with Clearwater Seafoods, one of Canada’s leading seafood companies. During his time at Clearwater Mark worked in a variety of sales and marketing roles including, international sales and service representative (for live lobsters), U.S. National Retail Accounts Manager, Business Development Manager for the Clam division, & Director of North American Asian Sales. Mark is based in Nova Scotia, Canada and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University with a major in marketing. Christiane Schmidt is Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager Europe for SFP. She has a BSc. in marine biology and a M.Sc in tropical aquatic ecology with an emphasis on coastal zone management. She has extensive experience in working with all levels of the supply chain in the global marine aquarium trade to cope with sustainability and traceability issues. Christiane has a strong personal interest in balancing business with conservation of the marine world. She applies her expertise when liaising with seafood supply chains to ensure a healthy future of the industry and our oceans. Kathryn Novak is Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager North America for SFP. She is the liaison to SFP’s North American retail partners and supports fishery improvement efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. Most recently, Kathryn worked as the Sustainable Seafood Program Manager at Ocean Conservancy where she was responsible for developing and managing relationships with major seafood buyers, wholesalers, distributors, and fishermen to coordinate engagement in Ocean Conservancy’s fisheries initiatives in the Gulf of Mexico. Originally from Saratoga, New York, Kathryn has a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from the State University of New York at Albany. She is based in Tampa, Florida. Robert Fields is Senior Director for fresh meat, seafood and gourmet deli at Sam’s Club. A division of Walmart, Sam’s Club is the United States’ eighth-largest retailer and a leading membership club with locations in the U.S., Brazil, China and Mexico. Walmart and Sam’s are requiring their seafood products to be certified sustainable to Marine Stewardship Council, Best Aquaculture Practices or equivalent standards. Bob joined Sam’s Club in 1998, as a Fresh Meat buyer. He has held various roles with the company including: Fresh Seafood Buyer, Frozen Seafood and Protein Buyer and Senior Buyer Fresh Meat and Seafood. David Smith is Vice President of Sustainability at Sobeys Inc. a Canadian supermarket company with about 1400 stores across the country and $16 billion in annual revenue. David leads Sobeys sustainability direction, covering direct operations (retails stores, fleets, warehouses) and product sourcing (including sustainable seafood, agriculture, packaging, social compliance, animal welfare). He also participates in numerous Canadian, North American, and global sustainability committees, including with The Consumer Goods Forum and the Global Social Compliance Program. In his previous position with Sobeys, David was General Manager of its new small urban store concept. Prior to Sobeys, David was National VP of Marketing for Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas, during which time he was on the Organic Trade Association marketing committee, was on the inaugural Wi-Fi industry marketing committee while with a California-based wireless networking start-up, was with McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, and was with a developing country master franchisee for Pizza Hut and KFC. David has an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a MBA.
Bill DiMento oversees all of High Liner Foods’ corporate-level sustainability initiatives, ensuring that the company is reducing its overall environmental footprint and complying with the strictest standards of seafood procurement. Under Bill’s leadership, the company continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainable practices by increasing the amount of products that are certified sustainable and reducing packaging and food waste, as well as lowering energy and water usage across the company. Bill DiMento has held key positions at High Liner Foods, Inc. since 1987, including Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, Director of International Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, and most recently, Senior Director of Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs. DiMento is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists, Past U.S. Representative to CODEX, and has been named chairman of the NFI Technical Committee. DiMento has been named to the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fish Inspectors and the Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference. Howard Johnson is Director of Global Programs and has been with SFP since its founding. He has over 40 years’ experience in all facets of the seafood industry. As a consultant, he has provided analysis on global seafood trends, planning, marketing and market research. His clients have included major U.S. government and international agencies, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, leading seafood corporations and commodity marketing organizations. He is the former editor and publisher of "The Annual Report on the United States Seafood Industry", an authoritative reference on seafood trends. Howard has also served on the Board of Directors of the National Fisheries Institute, Technical Advisory Board of the Marine Stewardship Council and the Conservation Committee of the Sea Change Investment Fund LLC. In 2010 he was named a “seafood champion” by the Seafood Choices Alliance and a Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures. Melanie Siggs is a Senior Advisor to both SFP and to The Prince of Wales' International Sustainability Unit. She enjoyed an extensive, international, corporate career, primarily in natural capital based sectors such as timber, paper and food, where she developed key skills in systems thinking, strategic vision, positioning, policy and reputation management. Melanie moved from the commercial to the non-profit sector when she joined global conservation group SeaWeb in 2005. As a Vice President of SeaWeb, she led their seafood markets based work around the world, engaging throughout the value chain and vertically with policy makers, standard setters and regulators across both wild capture and farmed fish products. Her corporate, markets and NGO experience is complimented with a Masters degree in Responsibility & Business Practice (MSc). Iain Pollard is Sustainable Fisheries & Markets Program Manager Europe for SFP. He has over 10 years’ experience of the global fisheries and aquaculture industry plus a Masters degree in Fisheries Economics. Previous projects include policy advice, economic impact assessment for authorities as well as sustainable seafood sourcing advice to retailers, processors and fishing companies. As a trained auditor Iain has carried out sustainability audits globally for chain of custody certification, full-chain traceability and SA 8000 social criteria. He has managed MSC certifications since 2001 and been the marketing manager for a fishing company exporting seafood to Europe and the USA. Matt Elliott is a Principal at California Environmental Associates, a small environmental consulting firm based in San Francisco. At CEA, Matt works with foundations and non-profits on strategic planning, particularly in the marine conservation and climate arenas. Matt also serves as the Conservation Director of the Sea Change Investment Fund, a $20M venture capital fund focused on sustainable seafood. Matt has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University and a master's degree in Environmental Change and Management from Oxford University.
Mike Norton is Vice President and General Manager of North Atlantic Seafood, Inc. (NAI). NAI is a primary processor, direct importer, and master distributor of both Fresh and Frozen seafood products. Founded and based on the Commercial Fish Pier in Portland, Maine, NAI has expanded to include owning and operating its own processing plant in Benoa, Indonesia. As general manager, Mike is responsible for NAI’s US operations, supply chain and overall quality control. Mike’s experiences growing up in a Maine fishing family and 8 years of supply chain management with a leading international retail grocery chain uniquely qualify him for the challenges of doing business in the global seafood market. Braddock Spear is Director of SFP's Metrics Program. For 8 years before coming to SFP, Braddock worked at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (US) ending his tenure as Senior Coordinator for Policy. At the Commission, Brad developed an expertise in the US fisheries management system, coordinated the legislative program, and initiated collaborative efforts involving government, industry, and NGOs. With SFP, Braddock directs several programs including Metrics, the CEO’s Office, and the Atlantic Menhaden FIP. He received a MA in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Doug Beveridge joined SFP after nearly a decade of work at the UK National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations. Prior to that, Doug was at the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, Scotland, Fisheries Resources Section for 14 years. He studied at Hull International Fisheries Institute. Doug has been involved in the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, developing the interface between the fisheries science community and the industry via science partnerships, working with European Regional Advisory Councils and representing European fishers within science and environmental forum. Doug leads SFP's division on fisheries and aquaculture improvement as well as global programs like ocean acidification and seafood sector work.
Ed Rhodes is the Vice President for Sustainability and Aquaculture Development for Phillips Foods in Baltimore where he is responsible for aquaculture development of finfish and shellfish and for developing and executing a responsible seafood sourcing program. His responsibilities also extend to corporate responsibility reporting in areas such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource use. Ed is a well-respected marine biologist with more than 40 years of experience in shellfish biology, fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood sustainability. He has worked in aquaculture research for the Federal government and in the private sector he has developed major aquaculture projects in South America and Asia. Ed served for four years as the aquaculture coordinator for NOAA Fisheries as part of their Sustainable Fisheries Division in their Silver Spring headquarters. He was the first Executive Director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, a position he held until he came to Phillips in 2007. At Phillips Ed chairs the Sustainable Sourcing Evaluation Team (ASSET) which guides company policy and procurement to ensure responsible seafood sourcing. Ed also chairs the NFI Crab Council, guiding major international seafood companies in their efforts to address the sustainability of crab fisheries. Ed serves on the Advisory Board for the Maryland Sea Grant College Program and is part of an international team evaluating the effects of ocean acidification on marine resources. Nigel Edwards was appointed Technical Director and executive of Seachill in 2007, having joined Seachill when the company was formed in 1998. The group role is chairing the Icelandic Group Sustainability Leadership Team joining together the individuals who lead the sustainability agenda in the group companies. The team are responsible for the group environmental and CSR policies and the
management of centrally coordinated projects, notably the current MSC assessment of the Icelandic cod and haddock fisheries. Nigel acts as the principle spokesperson with the global stakeholder NGO’s and represents both Icelandic Group and Seachill within various industry organisations. Nigel is a member of the AIPCE-CEP sustainability committee and was one of the authors of the Principles for Environmentally Responsible Fish Sourcing. He is also a member of the GlobalGAP Aquaculture committee and of the UK Food and Drink Federation Seafood Group steering committee and he chaired a working group in the European Aquaculture Technology Platform. Nigel’s passion and commitment to working in the field of seafood sustainability started with his education at Plymouth Polytechnic in Fishery Science. The most significant step change in his engagement was at the birth of the MSC in 1996/97 when Nigel worked with Carl Christian Schmidt in the initial years to establish and chair the first MSC stakeholder group. More recently Seachill were founder members of the now thriving UK Common Language Group and Nigel is participating in setting up the auditing protocols for the ASC. Tj Tate is the Executive Director of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. Her experience includes research that contributed to fisheries management plans in California, white seabass and juvenile lemon shark research and the design of the first conservation bank in northeast Florida. She has been an environmental professional for over 15 years and has worked to strengthen our nation’s fisheries since 1998. As Executive Director, she works closely with the Alliance’s Board of Directors and diverse groups of fishermen, communities, environmental groups, and decision-makers to define and implement the Alliance’s priorities and goals and strengthen the reef fish industry to achieve sustainability and accountability using the fisheries management tool of catch shares. She also has the privilege of serving on several Gulf Council advisory panels. Tj completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Florida State University and pursued her Masters of Science in Marine Science at the University of San Diego. Ian Carr is Group Marketing Director for EWOS, a leading supplier of feed and nutrition to the international aquaculture industry. Before this appointment in March 2011, he was Senior Advisor to Cermaq ASA (owner of EWOS) where he worked with corporate sustainability reporting. He has been employed in Cermaq group since 1999, before which he was a fish farm manager. Ian holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Strathclyde Business School in Scotland and has also pursued studies in aquaculture. Ian is based in Scotland, UK. Alan Craig is Vice President of Sales for True Nature Salmon, a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture. Prior to joining True North Salmon, Alan was the East Coast Manager for Heritage Aquaculture where he gained extensive experience in the processing and sale of farm-raised Atlantic salmon. Alan joined Cooke Aquaculture in June 2000 and now oversees Cooke’s expanding team of sales professionals in major centers in the United States, Canada and Asia. The sales and marketing division, the True North Salmon Company, is an industry leader in delivering fresh, farmed salmon to market, producing salmon in Chile, Canada, and Maine. Alan also manages Ocean to Ocean, and international seafood importer and marketer. He currently sits on the board for the Canadian Seafood Value Chain Roundtable of the Government of Canada and he is passionate about selling healthy, sustainable, worldclass seafood.
Jason Paine is the General Manager for Multiexport Foods USA located in Miami Florida. Multiexport Foods, USA is wholly owned subsidiary of Multiexport Foods S.A.; a leading Chilean Salmon Farming Company. Jason is responsible for overseeing all sales of Multiexport fresh, frozen and smoked salmon products to the US and Canada, with annual sales in excess of $100 million. Sales focus is on long-term partnerships with national retail and foodservice clients. Jason has been involved in the Aquaculture Industry for over 22 years working on the technical side earlier in his career with Sea Farms of Florida, and for the past 20 years focused on the sales and marketing of fresh, frozen and smoked farmed salmon products, both in commodity and the development of consumer branded products. Jason Paine holds a Master of Business Administration degree in International Business from University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aquaculture Technology from Florida Institute of Technology.
