David Lancaster named VP of business development and sales at Canastra Fishing; Katie Pullen named head of finance for Maine RAS salmon farmer
To keep up to date with the latest personnel changes across the seafood industry, SeafoodSource is compiling a regular round-up of hiring announcements and other personnel-related shifts worldwide. If you have an announcement, please send it to [email protected].
–New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based groundfish and scallop firm Canastra Fishing Company has named David Lancaster its new vice president of business development and sales.
Lancaster most recently held the role of CEO at Boston, Massachusetts-based wholesaler Stavis Seafoods, which is owned by the Spanish company Profand.
Lancaster’s “leaderhsip style, market knowledge, and ability to spot real opportunity set him apart,” Canastra CEO Cassie Canastra Larsen said in a release. “He understands what it means to build trust in this industry – and to do it without cutting corners.”
“Canastra Fishing Co. has what buyers are looking for–consistency, integrity, and a direct line to the source,” Lancaster said. “My role is to help bring that message to the right markets and make sure it translates into lasting partnerships. This is about supporting local U.S. fisheries and the fishermen and women that make them work.”
The Canastra family has a long history in the New Bedford seafood sector, with the Buyers and Sellers Exchance (BASE), a major national scallop marketplace, owned by Raymond and Richard Canastra. In 2023, Cassie Canastra, daughter of Raymond and niece of Richard, bought groundfish company Blue Harvest Fisheries from bankruptcy in a deal that included “all the vessels, all the permits” belonging to the company, according to The New Bedford Light.
–Millinocket, Maine, U.S.A.-based Great Northern Salmon, an RAS salmon producer, has named Katie Pullen head of finance.
“Katie brings over 15 years of experience in finance, operations, and strategic management across multiple industries, including consumer goods, manufacturing, and technology,” the company said in a social media post. “She has led cross-functional teams in accounting, budgeting, and systems integration, building robust financial infrastructures to support growth and operational efficiency.”
The company said that Pullen is practiced in developing financial plans for organizations as they scale. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration as well as an MBA.
–Kangamiut Holding, a Danish seafood trading cooperative, has announced the appointment of Thomas Collande as its new seafood representative in Germany.
The company, which grew from Kangamiut Seafood to include related businesses in Madagaskar, Norway, Chile, and France, made the announcement on LinkedIn.
“Thomas has extensive knowledge from the seafood industry, and we are confident that Thomas will add to the strengthening of our position in the German seafood market,” the post read.
According to his LinkedIn page, Collande worked for nine years as a business unit manager and then as sales director at Heiploeg International, and later as sales director at Hofseth International.
–Long-time Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero has announced that he will retire at the end of the year.
A long time transportation and shipping industry leader, Cordero has served for the last 8 years at Long Beach DEO. He previously worked for the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington, D.C., to which he was appointed by former U.S. President Barack Obama, and served as a member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners.
Cordero has been a long time champion of environmental sustainability and port modernization, and is stepping down amid a yearlong celebration of two decades of green initiatives at the Port of Long Beach, which then-Commissioner Cordero proposed in 2005.
“I could not be more grateful for what has been the opportunity of a lifetime to lead the Port of Long Beach over these past several years. While I’ll miss being in the center of the action for international trade, I know that I’m leaving the Port in the very capable hands of our Board of Harbor Commissioners and the exemplary staff,” Cordero said.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said that he had “the deepset respect for [Cordero’s] leadership and legacy.”
“Mario has always stepped up to serve, whether as chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, as a leader on the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, or as chief executive of our Port. He has guided one of the world’s busiest seaports through unprecedented times with vision and steady leadership, always keeping people and community at the center. Mario is a true Long Beach public servant, and his impact will be felt for generations to come,” Richardson said.
Cordero was born in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrants. He served for many years as a lawyer and part time professor of political science at Long Beach City College. He said that his career was inspired by the culture of activism of the 1970s.
The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the U.S., handling trade valued at USD 300 billion (EUR 257 billion) each year and employing over 600 people.
The Board of Harbor Commissions said in a release that it will put a plan in place for replacing Cordero shortly.
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