UK Government Export Assistance, DTI

Stephen has been an International Trade Advisor with UKTI Yorkshire and Humber for over four years. As the regional food and drink lead, he works across a range of industry sectors at owner/senior management/board level. Stephen provides information, advice and guidance to new exporters or growing export business. He can advise on market selection, brand and business proposition, route to market, protecting IP, language, culture, website internationalisation, e-commerce and legal/financial. Stephen can help companies to develop and implement an export strategy and to improve their knowledge and capability to export.

Director of Food and Drink Exporters’ Association

Elsa has spent her entire career working in international business development in the food and drink industry, for many years in senior export management roles for a range of well know UK companies.  In 2008 she was one of the Food and creators of Drink Exportese, a specialist business development consultancy working with a wide range of companies ranging from multinational PLCs to small/micro businesses and well as for government departments including UKTI/DIT, Welsh Government and Scottish Development International.

She is also a founding director of the Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA)  which she represents as a speaker at export events and on trade and government department working groups and well as engaging on a day to day basis with the food and drink exporting community.

Senior Economist, Seafish

Arina started her career as an economist specialising in the seafood sector almost 15 years ago when she was employed by a research institute and completed her MSc dissertation on competitiveness of the  Lithuanian fishing sector. Since then she has specialised in economic data collection for the seafood sector, strategic planning, economic impact assessments and different other analyses.. Arina worked for the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission before she joined Seafish in 2015. At Seafish she is responsible for data analysis, bio-economic modelling,  economic impact assessments and data processing and visualisation.

Arina is Vice President of the European Association of Fisheries Economists and co-chair of the Planning Group on Economic Issues. She is also a  member of the EU Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries and co-chair of the Committee’s Expert Working Group on Fisheries Dependent Information.

Seafish

Hannah joined Seafish as Regulatory Affairs Advisor in 2016, specialising in seafood traceability, nomenclature, labelling and integrity. Having recently taken responsibility for developing Seafish’s export regulation work, she continues to work with both the UK government and the seafood industry to reduce the burden of regulation and to ensure the demand for seafood is met in a proportionate way.

With a background in environmental management; Hannah joined Seafish from the plastics recycling industry, bringing with her a deep understanding of the impact red tape can have on business and the wider industry. Hannah represented plastics recyclers on a national and European level, supporting compliance projects and sustainability initiatives.

Regulatory Affairs Advisor, Seafish

Ivan works in Regulatory Affairs with Seafish. He joined in 2003 in a technical role, and subsequently moved to the Seafish Regulation team. Here he deals in particular with regulatory issues relating to seafood trade and seafood safety, mostly through participation in government/industry expert groups. In earlier roles Ivan worked in food analysis, seafood quality research, wastewater treatment, process control and technical management both in the UK and abroad.

Ivan holds degrees in Pharmaceutical Technology and Food Technology and has recently gained a degree in Applied Toxicology from the University of Surrey. He is President of the Seafood Importers and Processors Alliance (SIPA). He is a Registered Scientist, a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and a member of the IFST Scientific Committee.

Broadcaster

Nigel Barden is a food & drink broadcaster, who has worked with Simon Mayo & Chris Evans, on their Sony Gold award winning BBC Radio 2 shows for 12 years & is the food correspondent for BBC London.  He specialises in promoting British ingredients & artisan producers, particularly in his role as chairman of judges for The Great Taste Awards, Farm Shop & Deli Awards, World Cheese Awards, British Cookery School Awards, Deliciously Yorkshire & host of the National Fish & Chip Awards.

He works with CellarVie Wines, who run the RFU wine club & in a former life Nigel was a director of Yorkshire Fine Wines, based at Nun Monkton near York. He grew up on a farm in Lancashire, studied land agency at Cirencester’s Royal Agricultural College & worked in Yorkshire as a land agent. Nigel’s also a BBC rugby commentator & trained & worked as an actor.

Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership

Ursula Lidbetter is Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP); a member of the Food & Drink Sector Council on behalf of all LEPs; and also a member of the Retail Sector Council. She is involved in the Greater Grimsby Project Board.

She is the Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Co-op, a diverse business with 2,800 employees, running food stores, pharmacies, funeral homes and travel agencies. All profits are reinvested in the local community.

The organisation also creates and sustains local services through property development, with 600 commercial tenants, from local businesses to national names.

Ursula has been instrumental in setting up the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park in a joint venture between Lincolnshire Co-op and the University of Lincoln.

She has Honorary Doctorates from Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and from the University of Hull.

Ursula was awarded an MBE for services to business and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Lincolnshire.

Deputy Director for EU & International Fisheries Policy, Defra

Nigel Gooding is Deputy Director for EU and International Fisheries policy in Defra.  He has responsibility for EU and international sea fisheries negotiations.

Nigel’s previous policy responsibilities include: marine biodiversity, in which he led on the designation of the first marine conservation zones, fisheries control and enforcement, animal health and EU.   Nigel was the UK Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission from 2010-16.  He was Chief Inspector of Fisheries from 2003-2005 and then CEO of the Marine and Fisheries Agency from 2005-10.

Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP, Hull

Andrew Oliver is a Partner in the Fishing Shipping and Transport Department of Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP. As a recognised specialist in the field of commercial fisheries, Andrew assists, advises and represents clients throughout the UK and internationally on any legal issues they face.

As well as acting for vessel owners in matters such as the sale and purchase of vessels, their licences and quota, he also regularly represents owners and skippers on breaches of fisheries legislation and compliance.

Andrew also advises and works closely with industry authorities such as the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) in matters arising from deaths on board ships or at sea.

Since the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, Andrew has been advising the marine industries on the latest legal updates, and has provided regular insight to clients and industry publications on this important issue.

Chief Executive, Scottish White Fish Producers Association Limited

Mike entered the fisheries sector at the age of 16 and pursued a fishing career for 30 years, of which 25 were as skipper. Mike is currently Chief Executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association, which represents 240 individual vessels and 1400 fishermen.

Mike served on the board at Sea Fish for over eleven years and recently became chair of the Seafish Scottish Advisory Committee. Mike also chairs the Scottish Fisheries Sustainability Accreditation Group, the driving force behind certification of the main Scottish Demersal stocks.

Mike is a member of various other industry/government initiatives including Fisheries Management and Conservation, the group instrumental in changing the face of fisheries in Scotland. Mike is a recent winner of the coveted, ‘Scottish Green List’ and was the winner of the WWF International Sustainability award in 2010.  He recently received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List for his commitment to the marine Environment.

Practice Lead, Global Counsel

Daniel is Global Counsel’s trade policy Practice Lead. Daniel has worked on cross-border policy issues for over a decade in a wide range of sectors, including financial services, manufacturing and agriculture. He has advised the European Parliament Trade Committee on market access and financial regulation, including on the ratification of EU trade agreements, such as the EU-Korea FTA. Daniel is also a Research Associate at ECIPE in Brussels.

At Global Counsel, Daniel leads teams advising financial services, manufacturing and agribusiness clients on trade policy issues, with a particular focus on market access and compliance frameworks such as rules of origin. Daniel also works with a number of clients on anticipating and adapting to policy and regulatory changes in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Marketing Manager, Seafish

Leanne is Marketing Manager at Seafish. She is a highly professional and dedicated marketing specialist with the ability to create engaging communications which inspire action. Previously she was Head of Marketing at Stag Bakeries Ltd and before that Marketing Manager at Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd.

She is skilled at identifying market trends and customer needs to create highly effective campaigns, which align with business objectives and drive company growth.

Simon joined Seachill in 2009 after 20 years of sales and marketing at GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, General Mills, Häagen Dazs, and UK premium biscuit brand Fox’s. Simon designed and developed the UK customer and consumer strategy for Seachill taking the business from a manufacturing and trading focused business unit to one that puts consumer and category at the heart of its customer strategy.
The Saucy Fish Co., launched January 2010, has quickly established itself as the #1 Ready to Cook chilled fish brand in the UK and attracting global attention and recognition. Entering the Frozen market in 2017, The Saucy Fish Co. replicated this success with 68% of sales going to new category shoppers.

In 2014 three UK businesses under common ownership were merged into one operating business with Simon taking the CEO role of the newly combined £270m business under the Seachill name, with a leading position in Chilled Wetfish, Coated Fish, Ready to Cook and Ready to Eat fish. Following a period of successful transformation and business growth, the business was acquired by global business, Hilton Food Group in November 2017. Hilton has a strong position in protein and food categories in major global markets and Seachill leads the development of its Seafood strategy.

Central Buyer, M&J Seafood

Victoria joined the Seafood industry in January 2009 when she was 17 years of age and it had her totally hooked from day one.

She decided very early on, that being a member of the support team within a seafood buying arena wasn’t enough, so she set about learning her trade. From fishing methods to catch areas, understanding the industry’s sustainability challenges and initiatives, how to buy and where to buy from.

Nearly 10 years on, she is now a Central Buyer for M&J Seafood, responsible for an annual spend in excess of £25 million per year across various species…. and Victoria’s story won’t end here.

Her aspiration is not about how big a spend she has one day or how many different species she’s sourced, it’s about being in seafood to make a difference to our industry and to continue enjoying the role & culture she loves.

UK Director of The Norwegian Seafood Council is the speaker

Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr is representing the Norwegian seafood industry in the United Kingdom as UK Director for The Norwegian Seafood Council, a position he started on 1^stSeptember 2017. He is a graduate from the University of Oslo, Norway, where he holds a master degree in law. He is also educated at The Norwegian National Defense University College. Mr. Kielland Asmyhr served in elected positions for 18 years in Norway (1995-2013) as a county councilor, regional councilor and as a Member of Parliament (2005-2013). Previously coming to the UK in 2017, he was working in the PR industry as a director in Burson-Marsteller and as a partner in Panor Public Affairs.

Head of Horizon Scanning & Long Term Issues, Seafish

Angus Garrett has spent over 25 years in business research.

Angus’ early career was focused on industrial clusters and SME network development in the North East of England as a response to closures of Swan Hunter shipyard and British Gas Engineering Research Station.  Thereafter Angus worked for Cambridge based consultancy firm Segal Quince Wicksteed where he undertook cluster studies and appraisal and evaluation work.

For over 10 years Angus has worked as part of the Seafish team undertaking strategic studies that examine long-term issues as they impact on the seafood industry, understanding production systems and facilitating strategic analysis and planning with industry stakeholders.

More recently Angus has helped develop seafood industry horizon scanning, the systematic capture, mapping and prioritising of industry risk developments and leading reviews to understand the opportunities and threats these changes present.

Independent science advisor to UN agencies

Peter Kershaw splits his time between being an independent marine environmental consultant, and working within the United Nations and related bodies on a pro bono basis.

This follows a career of over 30 years as a research scientist working at Cefas (Defra) in Lowestoft. He has taken part in several assessments of the sources, fate and effects of plastics and other contaminants in the ocean, mainly for UN agencies, including a 2017 study for FAO on ‘Microplastics in fisheries and aquaculture – implications for aquatic organisms and food safety’.

He has written a number of reports on plastics in the ocean for the UN Environment Programme, most recently on exploring alternatives to single-use plastics. He has a part-time position advising the EC on options for reducing the impact of plastic litter in the ocean.

He is Chair of GESAMP, a UN advisory body that covers a wide range of marine environmental issues, several of which have relevance to fisheries and aquaculture.

Director of Strategic Engagements, GSA RFS

Melanie is Director of Strategic Engagement for the Global Aquaculture Alliance and Global Seafood Assurance. She has extensive experience of working internationally across both commercial and NGO sectors addressing a range of issues relating to food and timber. She is best known for her work on fisheries and aquaculture in the past 10 years. She holds an MSc in Responsibility & Business Practice. Melanie spent time helping Environmental Defense Fund build their foundations in Europe, following four years as a Special Adviser to HRH The Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit. A former Vice President of Sustainable Markets, working in partnership with the private sector for U.S. NGO SeaWeb, Melanie has travelled extensively applying her corporate background to ensure a solid understanding of global conservation issues as they relate to private sectors’ supply chains, public policy and best practice. She is a former Head of Strategic Communications for Finnish forest products giant UPM-Kymmene and acted as Head of Corporate Affairs in the UK, for Australian company Global Renewables.