Corporate Structure
Management Team
Board Of Directors
Policies
Transparency Act

Good corporate
governance

We create long-term value by ensuring good and healthy business practices, reliable reporting, regulatory compliance, and a culture that emphasizes ESG principles and standards.

Atlantic Sapphire ASA is headquartered in the United States.

Atlantic Sapphire ASA is the parent company of the Atlantic Sapphire group of companies, which includes:

  • Atlantic Sapphire Denmark AS registered in Hvide Sande, Denmark
  • S.F. Development LLC registered in Miami, FL, USA
  • Atlantic Sapphire IP LLC registered in Miami, FL, USA
  • Atlantic Sapphire USA LLC registered in Miami, FL USA, which owns 100% of AS Purchasing, LLC, registered in Miami, FL, USA

Atlantic Sapphire is led by aquaculture experts from around the world

Johan Emil Andreassen

Johan Emil Andreassen

Co-Founder and Interim CEO
of Atlantic Sapphire USA LLC

Johan E. Andreassen is a Co-Founder of Atlantic Sapphire, has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2010, and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Sapphire USA LLC. Mr. Andreassen has served as the Group’s Chief Executive Officer from 2010 to 2012, and from 2017 to 2020. Prior to founding the Atlantic Sapphire, Mr. Andreassen founded and led Villa Organic, a 30,000-ton capacity conventional salmon farming company, which was subsequently sold to Lerøy and SalMar in 2010.

 

Karl Øystein Øyehaug

Gunnar Aasbo-Skinderhaug

Deputy CEO and CFO

Gunnar Aasbo-Skinderhaug has more than 15 years of experience from the seafood industry and salmon farming and joins Atlantic Sapphire from the position as Director of Cermaq Norway Salmon. Aasbo-Skinderhaug has had multiple operational executive roles in the Norwegian entity and worked on operational improvements in the Norwegian and Chilean operations of Cermaq. Aasbo-Skinderhaug has more than 10 years experience as CFO, including previously Oslo Stock Exchange-listed Aker Seafoods, as well as several years of experience with land-based farming, including RAS production.

 

Mario Palma

Chief Operating Officer

Mario Palma was appointed the Chief Operating Officer of the Group in October 2023. Mr. Palma has been involved with the Group’s US operations since such operations commenced, and prior to being appointed Chief Operating Officer he held the position as Director of Aquaculture Engineering within the Group. Mr. Palma also has more than 8 years of experience from other companies within aquaculture, including 5 years in various positions at Mowi. Mr. Palma holds an engineering degree from the Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile.

 

Svein Taklo

Chief Development
and Infrastructure Officer

Svein Taklo is the Group’s Chief Development and Infrastructure Officer since joining the Group on 1 October 2019. Before joining Atlantic Sapphire, Mr. Taklo held several positions within the cruise line industry, including most recently as Vice President Marine & Technical with ROW Management (The World, Residences at Sea) and previously as Chief Operational Officer and Senior Vice President of Maritime Operations for Hurtigruten from May 2014. Mr. Taklo holds a Bachelor’s in Safety and Maintenance from Høgskolesenteret i Vestfold in Norway and completed the Executive Education Program by Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Damien Claire

Damien Claire

Chief Sales
and Marketing Officer

Damien Claire is the Group’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. Prior to joining Atlantic Sapphire, Mr. Claire was the President of Platina Seafood, Inc. Mr. Claire’s experience includes positions in several industries around the world. From 2009 to 2014, he served as Sales/Analyst for South Pacific Specialties in Miami. From 2004 to 2008 he also acted as Vice President of Business Development for Global Outsourcing in Chile. Damien earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Business Administration from Lander University in South Carolina.

Valerie Leath

Director of Human Resources

Valerie Leath joined Atlantic Sapphire in 2021 as a Director of Compensation and Benefits, and currently serves as Director of Human Resources. Leath has broad experience within the fields of HR with a strong focus on compensation, compliance and strategic management. She is a professional member of the Society for Human Resource Management and currently holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources designation through HRCI. Leath’s prior work experience includes her role as HR/Benefits Manager at Weller Management and HR Consultant with Corporate Business Solutions. Leath has a strong academic background, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida, a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the EM Lyon Business School.

Board of Directors

Our board members ensure Atlantic Sapphire operates with integrity and accountability.

Kenneth Jarl Andersen

CHAIRMAN

Kenneth Jarl Andersen has served as a Director since August 2022. Andersen is the CEO of Strawberry Equities AS, which recently made a significant investment in the Company in the private placement announced on 28 June 2022. Andersen has extensive experience from the Strawberry group, where he has been employed since 2007. In addition, Andersen has experience from Terra Fondsforvaltning and Arthur Andersen Consulting.

Mr. Andersen is a Norwegian citizen, currently residing in Oslo, Norway.

Eirik Welde

DEPUTY CHAIR

Eirik Welde is a Norwegian national who holds a veterinarian degree from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (2001) and has over 20 years of experience from the Norwegian aquaculture industry. He has worked with fish health, production management and design of live fish support systems, including hatcheries and post-smolt facilities. He has experience as project manager and project executive within several aquaculture species and RAS technology. From 2012, he was the general manager of Nordlaks Smolt AS, and since 2019 he has been CEO of the Nordlaks Group.

Patrick Dempster

DIRECTOR

Patrick Dempster, a Chilean-British national, holds a Master of Science in Aquaculture degree from University of Stirling in Scotland and has over 35 years of experiencing working in the global salmon farming industry. Mr. Dempster has worked for and held board positions in several of the largest Chilean salmon farming companies and for one of the largest suppliers of technology and equipment to the salmon farming industry, Akva Group. Since 2010, he’s been the general manager of AquaGen Chile, among the largest suppliers of genetics and eggs to the industry.

Ellen Marie Sætre

DIRECTOR

Ellen Marie Sætre is an educated veterinary from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (2006). She has been working as a consultant in private fish health companies on questions regarding fish health, welfare, hygiene and biosecurity since 2006. Now she is leader of the fish health department in Møre og Rømsdal for Åkerblå AS.

Ms. Sætre is a Norwegian citizen, currently residing in Vikebukt, Norway.

Marta Rojo Alonso

DIRECTOR

Marta Rojo Alonso is a Spanish national with over 25 years of international experience in Europe, Asia and Latin America. She has worked with various large companies within the aquaculture industry, such as Mowi, Skretting and as CFO of Salmones Camanchaca in Chile (listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange). She is the current CEO of Sterner Group, a Norwegian water treatment technology provider working with RAS. She has a Master’s degree in Economics and Management from the University of Madrid, as well as an Executive MBA from Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands.

Code of Conduct

Nomination Committee Charter

Investor Relations

Human Rights

Remuneration Policy (updated May 2023)

 

Transparency Act Statement 2023