Tom Pickerell has been appointed as Seafish’s new Technical Director and will be based in the organisation’s Grimsby office. Tom brings with him a wealth of experience having previously worked with the Shellfish Association of Great Britain and as a Fisheries Policy Officer with Defra. Most recently Tom was a Senior Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
As Technical Director, Tom will take a lead role in ensuring Seafish delivers key objectives outlined in the corporate plan. These include economics - securing a sustainable and profitable future for the industry, improving safety, responsibility and sourcing, and delivering support across each region of the UK.
Tom Pickerell commented: “The new corporate plan is a very challenging brief but one that I feel is an exciting and achievable task. From my years working in the fishing industry around the world, I believe I can bring the right mix of skills and knowledge to the task.”
Coinciding with Tom’s arrival, Seafish has also appointed Rob Bruce to the role of Corporate Relations Director. Rob brings twenty years of experience within communications, having held key positions with leading brands at Whyte and Mackay and InBev.
Based in Seafish’s Edinburgh office, Rob's role will be to protect and promote all aspects of the fishing industry, while educating people about its contribution to the health and wellbeing of society, economically and nutritionally. Leading a team of 12, Rob will also be responsible for government relations, stakeholder engagement, industry liaison and consumer campaigns.
Rob Bruce, Corporate Relations Director commented: “I’m really excited about joining Seafish, the team is already doing a great job and I hope to build on that success. There are some big challenges facing the industry, but with that comes the opportunity to make a real tangible difference.”
The corporate plan, which was announced in May, outlines Seafish’s commitment of over £11.4million to industry projects and initiatives over the next 2.5 years. The investment will lead to greater operational efficiency and transparency through a more open and engaged approach to decision making.
Dr Paul Williams, CEO of Seafish added: “Earlier this year we announced our new corporate plan which outlined our commitment of a significant investment across eight work programmes. Our plans for the future are ambitious, however I am delighted to welcome both Tom and Rob to Seafish to help us achieve them. Both our new arrivals bring with them invaluable experience and I am confident that they will support our organisation build on the good work which has already been achieved and help us deliver our longer-term objectives, creating lasting results for industry.”
