Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

RNS Number : 9799I

Benchmark Holdings PLC

07 April 2020

 

7 April 2020

Benchmark Holdings plc

("Benchmark" or the "Company")

Appointment of Trond Williksen as Chief Executive Officer

Benchmark, the aquaculture genetics, health and advanced nutrition company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Trond Williksen as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company, with effect from 1 June 2020.

Trond Williksen is highly experienced in the international aquaculture and seafood industries, having held senior executive positions in the sector for over 20 years. Most recently he was CEO of SalMar ASA, the Norwegian fish farm company and one of the world's largest producers of farmed salmon. Prior to this, he was CEO of AKVA group ASA, the leading global aquaculture technology and service provider for six years. He previously held a number of senior roles in Aker ASA's Seafoods, Ocean Harvest and BioMarine divisions.

Trond has also held a number of advisory and non-executive director roles in the industry including as Chairman of the Board of The Research Council of Norway, Oceans Portfolio; Chairman of Mørenot Group, which provides solutions to fishery and aquaculture customers; Chairman of the Board of Calanus AS, a biomarine company; and Board Member of SinkabergHansen AS, a Norwegian integrated aquaculture company.

Following Trond Williksen's appointment, Peter George will revert to his former position as Non-Executive Chairman.

Peter George, Chairman, commented

"I am delighted to welcome Trond to Benchmark. He brings deep, relevant aquaculture expertise and has proven operational, strategic, M&A, and managerial experience spanning both producers and technology providers in the industry.

"I am confident that under his leadership and with his industry expertise, Benchmark will emerge from the current more difficult environment to realise its potential to become a profitable leading provider of sustainable solutions to the global aquaculture industry."

Trond Williksen said:

"I am very pleased to have the opportunity to join Benchmark, a leading provider of sustainable solutions to the global aquaculture industry. Benchmark is strategically well positioned within a sustainable industry that holds vast opportunities and potentials for the future. I am looking forward to joining a very competent team, positioning and executing on a strategy for profitability and growth in the future"

The following additional information is provided in accordance with Rule 17 and paragraph (g) of Schedule Two of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Trond Williksen, aged 56, is currently or has been a director of the following companies within the previous five years.

Current directorships and partnerships

Holding Cage | AS

Calanus AS

Ivan Ulsund Rederi AS (including group companies: Trønderbas AS, Brusøykjær AS, Ivan Ulsund Eiendom AS, Albacore AS)

Norwegian Research Council, Oceans Portfolio

SinkabergHansen AS (including group companies: SvabergetSmolt AS, Marøy Viking AS, Bindalssmolt AS)

Williksen Export AS

KRING AS

Past directorships and partnerships held within the last 5 years

SalMar ASA (including group companies : SalMar Nord AS, SalMar Farming AS, SalMar Settefisk AS, VikenCo AS, SalMar AS)

AKVA Group ASA (including group companies AKVA group Software AS, AKVA group Services AS, Helgeland Plast AS, Plastsveis AS, AKVA Marine Services AS, Sperre AS, Polarcirkel AS, Atlantis Subsea Farming AS, Yesmaritime AS, Rogaland Sjøtjenester AS, AKVA group Denmark A/S, Aquatech AS, AKVA group Chile s.a., AKVA group Scotland Ltd, WISE Lausnir ehf)

There is no further information to be disclosed pursuant to Schedule Two, paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Enquiries

For further information, please contact:
Benchmark Holdings plc	Tel:  [phone]
Peter George, Executive Chairman
Septima Maguire, CFO
Ivonne Cantu, Investor Relations
Numis (Broker and NOMAD)	Tel:  [phone]
James Black, Freddie Barnfield, Duncan Monteith
MHP Communications	Tel:  [phone]

 Katie Hunt, Reg Hoare, Alistair de Kare-Silver                    [e-mail]

 

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