Ignacio González, chief executive officer of the Nueva Pescanova Group, will relinquish the helm on June 16 “due to personal reasons,” according to an announcement at the Vigo, Spain-headquartered seafood company’s website posted on May 23. He will be succeeded by José María Benavent, who has served as executive chairman of the group since 2020.
Having been on the scene at Pescanova for seven and a half years, the decision to exit by González comes several months after Galician bank Abanca, which has a majority stake in Nueva Pescanova, announced that it was in discussions to unload its holdings. Canadian seafood conglomerate Cooke Inc. entered into an agreement in April to buy an 80% stake in the company.
Pescanova, which ranks as one of the world’s largest producers of shrimp, employs more than 12,000 people on four continents. Turnover in 2022 topped €1,087 million from sales generated in over 80 countries.
During his tenure, González led needed transformation of the company in the wake of a bankruptcy procedure, key personnel upheaval and shareholder dissatisfaction. His efforts were instrumental in realizing a renewed and competitive fishing fleet, innovation in aquaculture and value-added products, and the successful launch of a creative advertising campaign featuring a revitalized brand.
