Kristjan Th. Davidsson to take up seat on MSC’s Board of Trustees
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Board of Trustees will be joined by a new Member, Kristjan Th. Davidsson, who will take up one of the Board’s designated seafood industry seats in late July 2021.
Mr Davidsson is Icelandic and is the Chair of Brim hf., which is a leading fisheries and seafood processing and marketing company in Iceland as well as being Board Member of other companies. The company has MSC chain of custody certification for all of its operating units. He holds a fishing captain’s degree and a fisheries science degree and began his career as a fisherman, then worked as an export/sales manager for seafood exporting/trading companies in Norway and Iceland. His industry experience includes acting as CEO of Grandi hf., (now Brim hf) as Managing Director of the Icelandic Aquaculture Business Association and as the Iceland representative for the North Atlantic Seafood Forum.
Kristjan Th. Davidsson will succeed Eric Barratt, who has been an MSC Trustee since 2014. Mr Davidsson’s appointment to the MSC board will ensure it retains a balance of Trustees from the fishing industry, academia, NGOs, retailers and other fields. Board members are carefully selected to ensure decision-making remains balanced and reflects different perspectives, expertise and experience.
Werner Kiene, Chair of the MSC Board, said: “The MSC relies on the insight, expertise and time of our Board of Trustees, as we seek to maintain and further strengthen our world leading standard for sustainable fishing and seafood sustainability. On behalf of my fellow Trustees, I would like to thank Eric for his outstanding dedication and invaluable contributions over so many years. We look forward to his continued interest in and support for the MSC.
“We are delighted to be welcoming Kristjan. The wealth of experience, seafood industry networks and commitment to sustainability he brings will be invaluable to the Board, and will ensure that as we continue to set the MSC’s strategic direction, we are guided by leaders representing a diversity of perspectives and knowledge bases.”
Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of MSC, said: “I am really delighted that Kristjan will be joining the MSC’s Board as one of our two designated seafood industry seats. Kristjan brings a wealth of experience and insights from a lifetime engaged in the seafood industry. His experience covers harvesting and marketing of demersal and pelagic species and products, from Latin America to Europe and Africa, to China and Japan. Kristjan will be joining the Board as we begin to develop our new strategic plan that will focus on accelerating the delivery of our vision of healthy and productive oceans with seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. I am very much looking forward to working with him.
“I, too, would like to take this opportunity to give my profound thanks to Eric Barratt who has made an invaluable contribution to the development of MSC during his time on our Board”.
Kristjan Th. Davidsson said: “Being able to work within a group of skilled and experienced people from around the world for the continued improvement of the seafood industry’s sustainability is an opportunity for which I am very grateful. The steadily increasing focus on sustainability helps us in this important work and secures a better future for us all. That is a task very much worth working for.”
New member brings new perspective
Trustees are chosen for their knowledge, expertise, and support for the MSC. Potential new Board members are identified through external advertisement; shortlisted applicants undergo a formal interview process with the Chair, other Board Members, and the Chief Executive. The preferred candidate is appointed by consensus of the Board of Trustees.
Trustees are appointed in a personal capacity, not as representatives of their organisations, and serve a three-year term; they may stand for re-appointment for a second term. The Chairman may serve up to three terms of three years.
The Board may have a membership of up to 15 Trustees; it is composed of a mixture of non-designated seats and designated sector seats. The eight designated seats comprise of two seats for each of the following sectors: seafood industry, conservation, market and marine science.
