High Liner Foods has named Rod Hepponstall as its new president, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors, effective May 1. He will assume the position from Henry Demone, chairman and ceo of the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada-headquartered company, who will continue as chairman of the board.
High Liner is a major processor and marketer of value-added frozen seafood. Its retail branded products are sold throughout North America under the High Liner, Fisher Boy, Mirabel, Sea Cuisine and C. Wirthy & Co. labels, and are available in most grocery and club stores. The company also sells branded products to restaurants and institutions under the High Liner, Icelandic Seafood and FPI labels, and is a major supplier of private label value-added seafood products to food retailers and foodservice distributors.
Hepponstall has 25 years of experience working in the food industry in the United States and Canada, in both retail and foodservice sectors. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at several publically traded companies, including Lamb Weston, ConAgra Foods and Maple Leaf Foods. Most recently he was senior vice president and general manager for the retail and foodservice business units of Lamb Weston.
Meanwhile, Eagle, Idaho-based Lamb Weston on April 4 that Mike Smith will replace Hepponstall. He will lead business units which sell frozen french fries and other potato products to foodservice distributors and restaurant operators, and the company’s retail line of products including Alexia, Grown in Idaho, licensed brands, and private label items to grocers and other retailers.