Marketing chief to take the helm at Barramundi Group
Kwan appointed to top job after Von Scholten opts for board role
aJames Kwan, a senior manager with Barramundi Group, will become the company’s chief executive from January 1, the fish farmer announced today.
The appointment follows the resignation of Andreas von Scholten who has been the company’s chief executive since November 2019 and will join the board as a director from the beginning of next year.
Barramundi Group currently harvests around 2,000 tonnes of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) a year, mostly in Australia but also in Singapore and Brunei. It plans to increase production to 7,000 tonnes by 2026.
In a press release, Barramundi Group said Kwan has more than 15 years of senior management experience, predominantly within the marketing and food and beverage sectors, and that in a previous role he created the company’s Kühlbarra brand and laid the foundation for the e-commerce business.
Singapore manager
Kwan joined Barramundi Group as chief marketing officer in December 2019, and from June 2020 also began overseeing the farming and processing operations in Singapore. Earlier in 2022, he took on a concurrent role as general manager Singapore, with responsibilities spanning broodstock, grow-out, processing and commercial operations.
“James is an excellent leader with strong credentials and a long list of achievements within the company, and I am very pleased that he has accepted the appointment as new CEO of Barramundi Group,” said company chair Hans den Bieman.
Poised for growth
Kwan said Barramundi Group had to re-assert its brands to “innovate and excite the market once again with creative offerings that have defined our earlier successes”.
He added: “Our position as a leader in sustainable barramundi aquaculture in Asia remains unchanged, and our company remains poised for strong future growth being at the doorstep of the world’s next growth engine. I have enjoyed working with Andreas these past three years, and I welcome his decision to join the board.”
Von Scholten said he was looking forward to his new role on the board.
“The company has been through a major transformation in recent years and is now progressing well on the strategy leading to profitability,” he said.
