The Seattle, Washington-headquartered American Seafoods Group has named Mikel Durham as its new chief executive officer, effective January 16. Bernt O. Bodal, who previously was both ceo and chairman, will continue in his role as chairman.
“I am delighted to welcome her to the American Seafoods family,” said Bodal. “Mikel is a talented foodservice and consumer products executive with a proven track record of strong performance. I look forward to working closely with her to build greater awareness and demand for the healthy and sustainably-harvested wild seafood products we produce.”
The company, a subsidiary of ASG Consolidated LLC with more than 1,000 employees, offers a diverse range of fillets, surimi, roe and fish blocks made from Alaska pollock, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod and hake – much of which is processed and frozen within hours of harvesting aboard its fleet of six catcher-processor vessels. Finished products are sold worldwide through an extensive global distribution and customer support network.
CEO Mikel DurhamDurham comes to American Seafoods with deep experience in the foodservice and retail sectors, and has substantial product innovation and channel development expertise. She is an independent board member of Tyson Foods and has previously served as the global growth officer of PepsiCo’s North America Foodservice business, as well as president of Burger King North America, president of Global Supply Chain for Cadbury Schweppes, managing director of Guinness Venture Markets, chief commercial officer of CSM Bakery Solutions, and general manager of Yum! Southern Europe.
“American Seafoods is a leader in supplying high-quality, sustainably-harvested and healthy wild-caught seafood products throughout the world,” stated Durham. “I’m excited for the opportunity to work with this dynamic organization to further realize its growth objectives.”
Chairman Bodal will devote his time to supporting strategic initiatives and maintaining and cultivating key customer and banking relationships. He has held executive leadership positions at American Seafoods since 1991, and served as its chief executive officer since 2000 following the buyout of the company from its original Norwegian owners following the implementation of the American Fisheries Act.
