Governance

Stichting Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) is incorporated as a foundation under the laws of the Netherlands. Governed by a Steering Board representing the full seafood value chain, companies, NGOs, governments and international organisations – including the FAO –, GSSI promotes sector-wide collaboration to drive forward more sustainable seafood for everyone.

GSSI charter 2016

gssi deed of incorporation

Steering board members

Hugo Byrnes

Vice President Product Integrity, Ahold Delhaize

Dr. Jason Clay

Senior Vice President, Food & Markets | Executive Director Markets Institute, World Wildlife Fund

Flavio Corsin

Aquaculture Director, IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative

Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly

Director of Global Fisheries and Aquaculture, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Bill DiMento (Co-Chair)

Vice President of Quality Assurance, Sustainability, and Government Affairs, High Liner Foods Inc.

Lisa Goché

Vice President, Grobest Global Services, Inc.

Peter Hajipieris

On behalf of Regal Springs Global Responsibility, Sustainability and External Affiars

Wakao Hanaoka

Founder/CEO, Seafood Legacy

Dr. Audun Lem

Deputy Director of the Policy and Resources Division in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO

Darian McBain

Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Thai Union

Angel Matamoro Irago

Chief Corporate Social Responsibility and Institutional Relations Officer at Nueva Pescanova Group

Judy Panayos

Senior Director, Sustainability Supply Management, Sodexo

Elisabeth Vallet

Director, Ethic Ocean

Christian von Dorrien

Leader Fisheries and Environment Research Group, Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries Thünen Institute

Andrea K. Weber

Director Corporate Responsibility, METRO AG

John Garner

Annika Mackensen

Dr. Jason Clay

Senior Vice President Food & Markets | Executive Director Markets Institute, World Wildlife Fund

Dr. Jason Clay engages with leading companies to improve the sustainability of their supply chains. He has convened industry roundtables of retailers, producers, scientists and environmentalists to reduce the key impacts of producing commodities such as soy, cotton, sugar cane, salmon and shrimp. Over the course of his career, Jason has run a family farm, taught at Harvard and Yale, worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and spent more than 25 years working with human rights and environmental organizations before joining WWF in 1999. Jason is the first National Geographic fellow for food and agriculture and winner of the 2012 James Beard Award for his global work on sustainable food.

Flavio Corsin

Aquaculture Director , IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative

Flavio Corsin oversees the Aquaculture Program at IDH the Sustainable Trade Initiative. IDH drives the joint design of economically viable approaches to realize green and inclusive growth at scale in several agriculture and manufacturing commodity sectors and sourcing areas in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Flavio spent more than two decades working in responsible aquaculture globally, working for several non-profit, intergovernmental and for-profit organizations. He also supported the establishment of several groundbreaking industry platforms in sectors such as coffee, tea, spices and apparel. Flavio holds a M.Sc. in aquaculture and a Ph.D. in epidemiology, the study of diseases in populations.

Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly

Director of Global Fisheries and Aquaculture, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Jennifer oversees Monterey Bay Aquarium’s activities in support of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture on a global scale, working with a range of stakeholders to drive improvements in environmental performance, social responsibility and management. This includes the respected Seafood Watch program, which engages and empowers North American consumers and businesses to support ocean-friendly fisheries and aquaculture through their purchasing decisions. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in sustainable fisheries and currently serves in a leadership capacity driving greater collaboration among the NGO community. As such, she is a Steering Committee member of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, Chair of the Environmental Stakeholder Committee for the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, a Steering Committee member of the Certification and Ratings Collaboration, and is a member of the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation’s Oceans and Seafood Markets Initiative Advisory Committee.

Bill DiMento (Co-Chair)

Vice President of Quality Assurance, Sustainability, and Government Affairs, High Liner Foods Inc

Bill DiMento is Vice President of Corporate Sustainability and Government Affairs at High Liner Foods. He oversees corporate-level Sustainability initiatives and Government Affairs ensuring that the company is meeting the strictest of standards in manufacturing, seafood procurement and social compliance through its supply chain. Under Bill’s leadership, the company continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainable practices by increasing the amount of products that are certified sustainable, reducing source packaging, reducing food waste, as well as lowering energy and water usage across the company. Bill DiMento has held key positions at High Liner Foods, Inc. since 1987, including Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, Director of International Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Senior Director of Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs and most recently as VP Quality Assurance, Sustainability and Government Affairs. DiMento is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists, Past U.S. Representative to CODEX, and has been named chairman of the NFI Technical Committee. DiMento is a past member of the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fish Inspectors and the Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference and is currently Chair of the Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative’s Steering Board. Bill received SeaWeb’s first-ever Grand Seafood Champion award in 2015 for his work that stretched across all four award categories: leadership, innovation, vision and advocacy. Bill holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science with Engineering coursework from the University of Massachusetts. Bill resides with his wife Beth on the north shore of Massachusetts.

Lisa Goché

Vice President, Grobest Global Services, Inc

Lisa Goché has over 34 years of practical and managerial experience in the wild capture and aquaculture seafood industry sectors (both domestically and internationally). She has extensive expertise in strategic planning, leadership, public speaking, business management, development and finance. Additionally, Lisa is well versed in production, operations, quality assurance, food safety, and regulatory compliance across a wide variety of species and low to high-risk product forms. Lisa also has over 20 years of experience in supply chain auditing and certification throughout North America, Asia, Central and South America to a wide variety of global certification, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards, programs and initiatives.

Peter Hajipieris

On behalf of Regal Springs Global Responsibility, Sustainability and External Affiars

Peter has over 28 years’ experience gained in the fresh and frozen food and seafood sectors holding management roles across governmental agency, policy, manufacturing and supermarketing sectors. Peter has held senior commercial, technical and corporate responsibility roles with McDonald’s, Seafish UK, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, Tesco Stores, Iglo Foods Group and Nomad Foods Europe.

Known as a champion of Sustainable Development, Peter has led many verification platforms to improve standards, supply chain resilience and natural capital whilst being the architect behind the design and implementation of international food brand integrated sustainability programs. Within the seafood sector, he was the originator behind the IFFO RS fishmeal and fish oil standard, the first industry sector member on the ASC Supervisory Board where he served six years and led the adoption by international food brands of the ASC, MSC, BAP and IFFO RS standards.

Peter has advised the UN FAO, OECD, EU Commission, European Governments and Foundations on supply chain sustainability and consumer strategy and served on expert panels worldwide. Peter leads a global food strategy consultancy, is a Non-Executive Industry Board member for the UK’s Seafish Authority and represents Regal Springs as a Supervisory Board Member on the Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative (GSSI).

Wakao Hanaoka

Founder/CEO, Seafood Legacy

Wakao Hanaoka founded Seafood Legacy in 2015. Seafood Legacy is a consulting firm that supports sustainable seafood businesses and environmental organizations in Japan and around the world. Prior to this, Wakao worked in marine conservation in the Maldives and Malaysia and as a Senior Ocean Campaigner for Greenpeace Japan. Furthermore, Hanoaka collaborates on the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solution, is an Expert Advisor for the Cabinet Office Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform Fishery Working Group and an expert advisor for the Fisheries Agency Pacific Wide Sea-area Fisheries Adjustment Commission. Wakao holds degrees in Environmental Science and Marine Biology.

Dr. Audun Lem

Deputy Director of the Policy and Resources Division in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO

Audun is Deputy Director of the Policy and Resources Division in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He is particularly involved with value chain analysis, capacity building, and policy issues related to international trade and market access, as well as food security. For many years, he was the Secretary of FAO's Subcommittee for Fish Trade, the principal forum among governments for discussion of relevant fish trade matters. Before joining FAO in 1996 he worked for the Norwegian Embassy’s trade mission in Milan and as a private consultant on various fisheries and aquaculture topics. Audun holds a B.Sc in Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen, an MBA from Harvard and a PhD from Poland's Sea Fisheries Institute.

Darian McBain

Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Thai Union

Darian McBain is the Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability for Thai Union, the largest seafood processor in the world. Darian is focused on implementing change that will drive sustainability through the entire global seafood industry. Darian’s role at Thai Union has taken the company from a commodity focus to a holistic ecosystem approach with a focus on oceans and people. Working within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Darian developed and has driven Thai Union’s sustainability strategy SeaChange® since its inception. Her previous work includes serving as the Sustainable Procurement Lead for the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, advising the United Nations, working in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, and heading her own strategy and sustainability consultancy. She holds a PhD on social indicators for global supply chain analysis from the University of Sydney, where she serves as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer of Integrated Sustainability Analysis. Darian is a published author, a member of several boards, and regular speaker at conference events. Darian is the winner of the Edie Sustainability Leader of the Year Award 2018 and the Ethical Corporation 2018 Responsible Business Leader of the Year.

Angel Matamoro Irago

Chief Corporate Social Responsibility and Institutional Relations Officer at Nueva Pescanova Group

Angel Matamoro Irago is the Chief CSR and Institutional Relations Officer of Nueva Pescanova Group where he has worked for the past 27 years. Angel oversees Nueva Pescanova’s sustainability strategy which is founded on principles of environmental respect and fishing sustainability; operating in an ethical manner; complying with the FAO principles for responsible fishing and aquaculture; and contributing to the social and economic development of the countries in which it operates including Namibia, Mozambique, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua or Guatemala, among others. Prior to this role, Angel held positions as Chief Human Resources and IT Officer of Pescanova Group and General Manager of Pescanova Alimentación S.A. Angel has a MBA from ICADE Business School, a Licentiate degree of Industrial Chemistry from the University Complutense de Madrid and a Master’s in Marketing Management and Sales from the Instituto de Empresa.

Judy Panayos

Senior Director, Sustainability Supply Management, Sodexo

Judy Panayos is the Sr. Director of Sustainability in Supply Management at Sodexo with responsibilities for sustainability and corporate responsibility in supply. Judy works to incorporate internal and client goals for sustainability and corporate responsibility into sourcing strategies including local sourcing, sustainable products (including seafood), responsible supply chain practices and sustainability innovation. Previously, Judy worked in medical device manufacturing at Becton Dickinson (BD). Over the 10+ years at BD, Judy had oversight of various supplier programs including Sustainable Procurement, Supplier Diversity, Supplier Risk, Supplier Quality Management, and Supplier Recognition. She also held positions in Strategic Sourcing, Planning, Distribution, Transportation and Customer Service. Previous to BD, Judy has over fifteen years of experience in key roles in Performing Arts Logistics Management, including urban renewal projects involving government, industry and non-profit partnerships. Judy also sits on the Strategic Advisory Committee of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council. She has a Corporate Responsibility certificate and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University and a B.F.A. from New York University.

Elisabeth Vallet

Director, Ethic Ocean

Since 2006, Elisabeth Vallet has held the position of Director of France-based marine conservation organization, Ethic Ocean. Ethic Ocean is dedicated to the preservation of the ocean by working with different seafood stakeholders to develop a seafood supply chain that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. Elisabeth comes from a communications, policy and trade association background. Prior to Ethic Ocean, Elisabeth worked as the Communications and Project Manager of the European Council of Young Farmers in Brussels. She also worked for the European Commission at DG Environment and for a trade association on biofuels in France. Elisabeth has a master’s degree in Biology and is specialized in the environment and communication.

Christian von Dorrien

Leader Fisheries and Environment Research Group, Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries Thünen Institute

Christian is a studied fisheries biologist who works as Senior Scientist at the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries in Rostock, Germany, since 2004. One of the Institute’s research activities focusses on developing and testing of approaches for fostering the desirable behavior of fishermen through incentives. Christian is a German member of the Advisory Committee as well as other Expert Groups of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. He has long experience in ecosystem-based fisheries management and eco-certification of fisheries.

Andrea K. Weber

Director Corporate Responsibility, METRO AG

Andrea Weber started her career as a lawyer before she joined METRO in 2003. METRO is an internationally leading specialist in wholesale and food retail. Andrea held different leading positions in the company and has proven herself to be an all-rounder by managing several departments, though always connected to the area of environment and sustainability. Due to this experience she became an expert in responsible sourcing, with special focus on fish and seafood sourcing. As Director, Corporate Responsibility, she is the single point of contact for the countries in all matters of sustainability and assures the fulfillment of sustainability standards and policies, as well as, the development and fostering of external partnerships. Moreover, she serves as sparring partner and interface for own brands, marketing and communication, and is strongly engaged in several networks to foster young high-potentials. Andrea is a member of the Steering Board of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), a global platform and partnership working towards more sustainable seafood.

John Garner

John Garner is a retired seafood executive with 50 years experience in the regulating, harvesting, processing and marketing of Alaska seafood. During his career, John served in fisheries related government capacities as a Commissioner of the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission and as a Board member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries. John was also heavily involved in the effort to rationalize the Bering Sea crab fisheries, which resulted in federal legislation to grant individual fishing and processing quotas. John is also a Board member and past President of SeaShare, the seafood community’s response for hunger relief (learn more at www.SeaShare.org). John is a graduate of the University Of Washington School Of Law and was admitted to practice in the State of Alaska. He lived in Alaska for nearly 40 years and now residing in Seattle, Washington.

Hugo Byrnes

Vice President Product Integrity, Ahold Delhaize

Hugo Byrnes joined Ahold in 2006 and was subsequently appointed to the position of Vice President Product Integrity. He is responsible for Ahold Delhaize’s food and non-food product policies, which cover product safety and responsible products. This includes social compliance, animal welfare and environmental issues. Hugo Byrnes has a Dutch Law degree from the State University Leiden, the Netherlands. He is a food lawyer whose career has focused on the food business and in particular on quality management and standardization.

Vasile Rata

Research Intern

E: vasile.rata@ourgssi.org

Herman Wisse

Managing Director

E: herman.wisse@ourgssi.org
M: +31 6 26 93 52 97
Skype: hermanwisse

Eva Mudde

Program Officer

E: eva.mudde@ourgssi.org
M: +31 6 83 36 56 50
Skype: Eva.mudde1

Suzette Rovers

Office Coordinator

E: suzette.rovers@ourgssi.org
M: +31 6 53 19 24 92
Skype: suzetterovers

Kim Bajou

Partnership and Outreach Officer

E: kim.bajou@ourgssi.org
M: +31 6 30 68 06 91
Skype: Kimmy.ba

Florian Zuber

Benchmark Manager

E: florian.zuber@ourgssi.org
M: +31 6 51 16 96 29
Skype: GSSI Florian Zuber

Sarah Ogston-Gray

Ogston-Gray Food Consulting

Independent Expert for: Sections A & B

Sarah has over 20 years experience in the food industry in manufacturing, retail and audit. Sarah’s expertise is in developing, implementing and auditing technical/quality standards and policies. She worked for Tesco in the UK for over 10 years, implementing standards and managing supplier assurance. She was responsible for implementing global auditor training and consistency in the Tesco Group. Since leaving Tesco she has worked as an independent consultant with clients primarily in the UK & Netherlands.

Dr. Belinda Yaxley

Sustainability and Accreditation Officer, Petuna Aquaculture

Belinda Yaxley has a PhD in Zoology with over 18 years’ experience in natural resource management in the private and public sector. As the Sustainability and Accreditation Officer for Petuna Aquaculture, Yaxley works with certification schemes focused on responsible farming and sustainable practices. She also works for Tasmanian Salmon Industry. Yaxley is passionate about the application of sustainability efforts and responsible farming practices at Petuna and across all areas of aquaculture globally. Currently, Yaxley consults for GAA as a principle investigator, working with a dedicated team to address cumulative impacts on Australian aquaculture.

Gregg Small

Adjunct Faculty, Washington State University, Food Science Innovation Center

Gregg Small is an Adjunct Faculty member and owner of Product Survey International, a consulting firm specializing in post-harvest processing and aquaculture practices. In these roles, Small served as liaison between government authorities, aquaculture certification bodies and the US and Asian processing industries that supply the retail marketplace. Small earned a master's degree: Policy Implications of Seafood Safety from the University of Washington’s Fisheries/Oceanography College. In addition to working for several major processing companies he participated in US and EU Governmental and FAO projects worldwide. Gregg was employed with NOAA’s Fisheries Management Division as a Fisheries Biologist, carried out seafood plant audits and lot inspections for the USDC and the FDA Office of Seafood Policy. He is currently participating with the FAO/GSSI Aquaculture Expert Working Group which developed a Global Benchmark Tool designed to harmonize wild and farmed seafood certified schemes. He lives north of Seattle and when he is not traveling, trying to train his new Lab puppy.

Governance

Steering board members

Hugo Byrnes

Dr. Jason Clay

Flavio Corsin

Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly

Bill DiMento (Co-Chair)

Lisa Goché

Peter Hajipieris

Wakao Hanaoka

Dr. Audun Lem

Darian McBain

Angel Matamoro Irago

Judy Panayos

Elisabeth Vallet

Christian von Dorrien

Andrea K. Weber

John Garner

Annika Mackensen

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Dr. Jason Clay

Senior Vice President Food & Markets | Executive Director Markets Institute, World Wildlife Fund

Flavio Corsin

Aquaculture Director , IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative

Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly

Director of Global Fisheries and Aquaculture, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Bill DiMento (Co-Chair)

Vice President of Quality Assurance, Sustainability, and Government Affairs, High Liner Foods Inc

Lisa Goché

Vice President, Grobest Global Services, Inc

Peter Hajipieris

On behalf of Regal Springs Global Responsibility, Sustainability and External Affiars

Wakao Hanaoka

Founder/CEO, Seafood Legacy

Dr. Audun Lem

Deputy Director of the Policy and Resources Division in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO

Darian McBain

Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Thai Union

Angel Matamoro Irago

Chief Corporate Social Responsibility and Institutional Relations Officer at Nueva Pescanova Group

Judy Panayos

Senior Director, Sustainability Supply Management, Sodexo

Elisabeth Vallet

Director, Ethic Ocean

Christian von Dorrien

Leader Fisheries and Environment Research Group, Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries Thünen Institute

Andrea K. Weber

Director Corporate Responsibility, METRO AG

John Garner

Hugo Byrnes

Vice President Product Integrity, Ahold Delhaize

Vasile Rata

Research Intern

Herman Wisse

Managing Director

Eva Mudde

Program Officer

Suzette Rovers

Office Coordinator

Kim Bajou

Partnership and Outreach Officer

Florian Zuber

Benchmark Manager

Sarah Ogston-Gray

Ogston-Gray Food Consulting

Dr. Belinda Yaxley

Sustainability and Accreditation Officer, Petuna Aquaculture

Gregg Small

Adjunct Faculty, Washington State University, Food Science Innovation Center