(Saint John, NB) – “Cooke’s core purpose is ‘To cultivate the ocean with care, nourish the world, provide for our families, and build stronger communities’ and our approach to sustainability is central to this,” says Szemerda, who has been with Cooke for 30 years and works as the Vice President of Saltwater Operations for Cooke Aquaculture’s North American Operations. “Across all our subsidiary companies, we are fortunate to have some of the best and brightest minds in wild fisheries and aquaculture working to innovate and implement practices using sound science and advanced technologies to ensure our seafood is sustainable. I’m excited to unify these efforts and continue this important work with our colleagues around the globe.” In this newly established role, Szemerda will oversee all environmental programs and regulatory programs, industry certifications, and sustainability initiatives across Cooke’s global wild and farmed subsidiaries.
“Michael has shown great leadership throughout his career with Cooke, and he has vast experience with all of Cooke’s saltwater operations around the globe,” says Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Inc. “We’re thrilled that he has accepted this role at such a pivotal time of growth for our company. We know his experience with our operations, and knowledge of the seafood industry will help us in our commitment to protecting and enhancing the marine environments we work in.”
Cooke is proud to offer True North Seafood products that meet a variety of certifications and recommendations to support sustainability. The Cooke family of companies ships one billion pounds of seafood annually through harvesting 30% wild species (wild salmon, whitefish, and shellfish) and 70% farmed species (Atlantic salmon, steelhead trout, white Pacific shrimp, sea bass, and sea bream).
Cooke is currently recruiting a new Vice President of Aquaculture to oversee its saltwater operations and Mr. Szemerda will start his new role following the saltwater operations position being filled. The position is featured here, and job seekers can view the full list of available jobs and apply online at MyCookeCareer.com or visit @MyCookeCareer on Facebook.
