The Alliance Board
The Alliance Board is a group of leaders in the responsible seafood movement that, together with the Alliance staff and the Alliance’s fiscal sponsor, are committed to providing guidance, support, and strategic oversight to the Alliance on behalf of the broader Global Hub community.
Kate Barclay
MARINE SOCIAL SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY
Professor Kate Barclay is a marine social scientist at the University of Technology Sydney. Since the late 1990s, Kate has researched the sustainable development of tuna resources in the Asia Pacific region in the context of changing governance systems and globalization, including the sustainable seafood movement. Recent projects include developing social and economic monitoring frameworks for fisheries and aquaculture, fisheries governance analysis, and guides to help fisheries managers address human rights, gender equity, and social inclusion in their work. Her service work has included being on the Marine Estate Expert Knowledge Panel for the New South Wales state government in Australia (2017-2021), and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the International Pole and Line Foundation (since 2014). Kate has undertaken commissioned research for many organizations including WWF, Greenpeace, the UN Development Program, the European Parliament, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, the World Bank, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Pacific Community.
René Benguerel
FOUNDER AND CEO, BLUEYOU
René Benguerel holds a degree in aquatic ecology and fisheries biology. Before founding Blueyou in 2004, he worked in the Swiss retail sector where he was procurement manager for sustainable seafood. Blueyou is partnering with fisheries and aquaculture producers and leads efforts to improve the sustainability and economic viability of seafood operations, with a focus on small-scale producers and Fair Trade models.
One of Blueyou’s core competencies is the development of nature-based, regenerative shrimp farming systems that combine the restoration of mangroves with growing organic, climate-smart seafood. Blueyou also acts as a blue food systems project developer for impact investors, conservation NGOs, blue carbon funds, and governmental organizations.
Cecilia Blasco
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SMARTFISH
Cecilia Blasco is the Executive Director of the Mexican NGO SmartFish. She joined the organization in 2016 and leads a committed, multi-disciplinary team that is unlocking market incentives for sustainably caught seafood in Mexico. SmartFish incubates small-scale fisher co-ops to improve their fishing, handling, processing, and business practices to produce premium quality seafood that is independently verifiable as sustainable or improving. Their buyer engagement program follows CASS’ model and supports retailers and foodservice companies to develop sustainable sourcing policies. Cecilia has over 20 years of experience working on solutions to address environmental degradation and enhance community well-being. She has a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a BA in Geography from Dartmouth College. She enjoys spending time in Mexico’s exceptional natural landscapes and paddle boarding in La Paz bay with her dogs.
Zacari Edwards
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL POLE & LINE FOUNDATION
As Social Responsibility Director for the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) Zacari oversees IPNLF’s work implementing social responsibility improvements in tuna supply chains. In this role, Zacari also provides social responsibility guidance to market actor NGOs and advocacy groups that duly consider social equity issues and challenges faced by small-scale fisheries. Social research is at the heart of this work whereby Zacari drives IPNLFs efforts to iteratively assess the social risks and social benefits associated with the fisheries it works with. Zacari also leads IPNLF’s socially focused advocacy work to hold poor-performing fleets to greater accountability. A key component of this work involves collaborating with partners to engage Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) to advance the adoption of necessary regulations to uphold human rights and labor protections in tuna fisheries. Zacari joined the IPNLF team in 2018 with a strong social science research background and having already worked on-the-ground for NGOs working with various fishing communities throughout Uganda Thailand and Indonesia. Zacari is based in the United Kingdom and holds an MSc in International Development with a minor in Sustainable Fisheries Management from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Indrani Lutchman
PROGRAM DIRECTOR, FIP EVALUATION & EXTERNAL RELATIONS, SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP
Indrani (Drin) Lutchman is SFP’s Program Director for FIP Evaluations and External Relations, responsible for FIP progress ratings and maintenance of SFP evaluation tool. She is a marine biologist and fisheries scientist with extensive experience of leading successful projects/programs on marine and fisheries issues in Europe, Caribbean, Antarctica and UK Overseas Territories including the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar funding by governmental and non-governmental donors including the European Commission Parliament, the Oak Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust, Avina Foundation and the Marine Stewardship Council. She led the WWF advocacy campaign during the negotiations of the UN Agreement on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA) and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing, and contributed to the establishment of the principles for sustainable fishing – used as the basis for the criteria and principles of the MSC standard.
Roxanne Nanninga
FOUNDER, BLUE BIOME ADVISING
Roxanne has dedicated her career to addressing many of the complex challenges facing our global food systems, both on land and at sea. She has led wide-reaching initiatives to tackle climate change, better fishing and farming practices, traceability, and human rights at various organizations, including multi-national corporation, Thai Union, technology startup, xpertSea, and Environmental Defense Fund. She seeks solutions that benefit both people and the planet while building organizations that can succeed in a rapidly changing world. In her most recent role as Chief Sustainability Officer at xpertSea, Roxanne developed a strategy for regenerative farming in the shrimp industry by empowering producers with access to AI-powered technology, production insights, and access to financing to reduce their carbon impacts. Roxanne holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University in Environmental Management and International Development. She resides in Santa Barbara, California with her husband and young son, where they spend much of their time playing outside at the beach or in the mountains.
Yemi Oloruntuyi
HEAD, SOCIAL POLICY, MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
Yemi currently has responsibility for the development and implementation of MSC’s policy and requirements on social issues. Prior to this, she led MSC’s Global Accessibility program which functioned to increase access of the program to small-scale and developing world fisheries. She has over 20 years of experience working on sustainable seafood, fisheries certification standards, and ecolabelling, with extensive experience in the development and implementation of policy and tools to facilitate sustainability and certification in small-scale fisheries in the global south and experience working at the intersection of environmental and social issues in fisheries. Prior to working at the MSC, she spent several years as a lecturer at the Lagos State University, Nigeria, where she was involved in teaching and research in aquaculture, fisheries resource management, and marine ecology.
Serge Raemaekers
FOUNDER, ABALOBI
Serge is a social entrepreneur with an ardent commitment to sustainable development and the elevation of marginalized communities. With over two decades of experience working with small-scale fishers, combined with a background in Fisheries Science, Serge has gained a deep understanding of the local and global challenges facing these communities and the need for innovative solutions that enable their ocean stewardship potential in this rapidly changing world. In 2015, Serge co-founded ABALOBI in South Africa – www.abalobi.org – an initiative that seeks to elevate Small-Scale Fisheries and poise them for social, economic, and ecological sustainability. The name ABALOBI means ‘fisher’ in the isiXhosa language, reflecting the fisher-led nature of the organization.
Richard Stavis
CEO, STAVIS CONSULTING, LLC AND
STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH, COMMUNICATIONS AND DIALOGUE LEAD AT THE GLOBAL DIALOGUE ON SEAFOOD TRACEABILITY
Richard Stavis, CEO of Stavis Consulting, LLC and Stakeholder Outreach, Communications and Dialogue Lead at The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) is an internationally acknowledged seafood thought leader and innovator with over thirty-five years in the seafood community functioning in executive, purchasing, sales, and sustainability roles. This experience has given him insight into harvesting, farming, processing, and product standards. While CEO of Stavis Seafoods, Inc. from 1998-2018, he grew the enterprise from USD $40 million USD to approximately USD $250 million. Over the last decade, his primary focus has been understanding, advocating for, and applying best practices in sustainability, traceability, and ensuring responsible labor practices within the seafood supply chain. Richard is a Board Vice President and Treasurer for FishWise, a Trustee of Human Rights at Sea, founded and is a member of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership’s Squid IUU sourcing prevention working group, and is an Advisory Committee member for the Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability (SALT). He was the Sustainable Fisheries Partnerships’ Squid Supplier Roundtable’s first Industry Chairperson. Richard is a regular conference speaker at Seafood Expo North America, where he creates, develops, and moderates panels on an annual basis. Richard has spoken at other conferences, including the Sea Ahead Global BlueTech Conference, the World Ocean Conference Sustainable Ocean Summit, the United Nations Oceans Conference, Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW), and others.”
Songlin Wang
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, QINGDAO MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
Songlin has 20 years of experience in China’s marine conservation and sustainable seafood movement. His career path includes working for The Nature Conservancy, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF China and WWF International), and The Paulson Institute (PI). Songlin led Ocean Outcomes’ China team during 2015-2018. In 2016 he helped establish the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s China program and has been serving as a strategic advisor. In 2017, Songlin founded and since has been chairing Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS), a young and professional Chinese environmental NGO focusing on coastal & marine ecosystem conservation and seafood sustainability. Songlin majored in marine ecology at the Ocean University of China as an undergraduate and then obtained a masters’ degree in environmental management at Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. He is a Pew Marine Conservation Fellow.
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Alliance Advisory Council is comprised of seasoned figures from throughout the sustainable seafood movement who have served on the Alliance Board in years past. Those serving on the Advisory Council provide additional guidance on strategy, tapping into their deep knowledge of the sector’s history and promise to help steer the Alliance toward measurable impact.
Tobias Aguirre
Tobias has contributed to the work of the Alliance since 2006. Tobias holds degrees from Stanford University and UCSD’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, where he specialized in nonprofit management and business strategy. His awards include the UCSD GPS 2018 Outstanding Alumnus Award and the Conservation Alliance Spirit award, and Tobias was named a Seafood Watch Hero by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Francisco Blaha
Independent Fisheries Advisor
Francisco Blaha’s experience ranges across the fisheries sector since the 1980s, starting on the deck of a fishing vessel he worked his way to his present position as an independent senior fisheries advisor for over 30 multilateral organizations, governments, NGOs, technology providers, and industry groups on a wide range of areas, in more than 55 countries worldwide.
Richard Boot
PRESIDENT, FISHCHOICE
As founder and CEO of FishChoice, Richard is responsible for ensuring that FishChoice remains a leader in the creation of tools for industry and conservation organizations. Richard serves on the board of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions and was a Seafood Champion finalist in 2016.
Stephanie Bradley
MANAGER OF FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, WORLD WILDLIFE – US
As Manager of Fishery Improvement Projects on the WWF-US Oceans Team, Stephanie manages the suite of FIPs with which WWF-US is engaged, and creates linkages to sustainable sourcing strategies developed for WWF’s corporate partners.
Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly
VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL OCEAN INITIATIVES, MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM
Jennifer directs Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program, working to engage and empower North American consumers and businesses to support environmentally responsible fisheries and aquaculture operations through their purchasing decisions.
Tim Fitzgerald
CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, AMERICAN SEAFOODS
Tim is the first Chief Sustainability Officer at American Seafoods. In addition to continuing to drive the company’s existing environmental sustainability and social responsibility portfolio, he also helps to shape ambitious new climate and public affairs initiatives. Prior to joining American Seafoods, Fitzgerald worked for nearly two decades at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
Sam Grimley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
SEA PACT
Sam Grimley works with Sea Pact’s ten North American seafood company members to collaboratively improve the sustainability of global seafood through project funding and collective action.
Marah Hardt
SENIOR ASSOCIATE, CEA CONSULTING
A scientist and storyteller, Dr. Marah J. Hardt works at the crossroads of science, strategy, and creative communication to build a sustainable future for people and the sea. She received her Ph.D. in marine science from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2007, and a B.A. in History of Science from Harvard University in 2000. She is grateful to live on the Big Island, Hawaii where she spends as much time in the sea as possible.
Rob Johnson
SENIOR CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT ADVISOR, FISHERIES & AQUACULTURE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Rob Johnson is a seafood sustainability professional that brings together a comprehensive background in markets-based solution-oriented sustainable seafood program development, business partnership leadership, and industry procurement and supply chain management.
Dick Jones
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
BLUE OCEAN MARICULTURE
Dick Jones is the CEO of Blue Ocean Mariculture, currently the only open-ocean finfish aquaculture company in the US.
Jack Kittinger
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL FISHERIES & AQUACULTURE, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
In addition to his position with Conservational International’s Center for Oceans, Jack is also a Professor of Practice in Arizona State University’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. Under his leadership, CI works to protect biodiversity and improve the wellbeing of ocean-dependent communities by implementing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture solutions built on partnerships and investments from ocean to plate.
Meredith Lopuch
FOUNDER AND MANAGER, TAVURA, LTD.
For more than 20 years, Meredith has worked with non-profits, foundations, and industry partners to conceptualize new initiatives, build support for them, and design the strategies that put them on a path to success. At Tavura, Meredith uses this experience to help her clients achieve strategic clarity about what they want to achieve and how to move from concept to implementation to impact.
Jesse Marsh
PRINCIPAL AND MANAGER, SCALING BLUE
Jesse Marsh is the Principal and Manager of Scaling Blue, an independent consultancy founded in 2014. Scaling Blue helps non-profit organizations, foundations, the private sector, and other stakeholders scale their collective impact to achieve more sustainable fisheries and communities.
Kathryn Novak
GLOBAL MARKETS DIRECTOR, SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP
Kathryn oversees SFP’s programmatic work with global market engagement, biodiversity, and communications. She joined SFP in 2009 and helped to shape the development of SFP’s partnership work with industry to advance fishery and aquaculture improvement efforts.
Helen Packer
lead seafood stewardship index, world benchmarking institute
Helen leads the Seafood Stewardship Index at WBA. She joined WBA in July 2020, and is responsible for ensuring the benchmark methodology reflects stakeholder expectations, preparing benchmark reports of key seafood companies and engaging with stakeholders to further enhance the use of the benchmark.
Hoyt Peckham
DIRECTOR, SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES AT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
Hoyt Peckham has worked for more than 20 years to ensure that oceans and those who depend on them thrive. Hoyt is the Director of Small-scale Fisheries within the Global Marine Program of WCS.
Melanie Siggs
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENTS, GLOBAL SEAFOOD ALLIANCE
Melanie Siggs has extensive experience working internationally across both commercial and NGO sectors addressing issues relating to food and timber, although she is best known for her work on fisheries and aquaculture in the past 10 years.
