Aker BioMarine, a leading supplier of krill-derived ingredients to the consumer health and wellness and animal nutrition markets, has made some key personnel appointments in the areas of innovation and sustainability.

"We are already a market leader in innovationand sustainability, but to retainthat position we need to step up our efforts by hiring the right people," said Hallvard Muri, CEO of AkerBioMarine. "In order to meet expectations from existing and new customers, we must continue to ensuregood documentation and product-related clinical studies."

To help build the knowledge base on krill in a variety of health areas the company has hired Torbjørn Furuseth, a medical doctor with three years of clinical practice, and a former management consultant with McKinsey & Co. He joins Aker BioMarine from his position as vice president of commercial development at Trygg Pharma to head the new innovation department.

In an effort to strengthen its sustainability efforts, Aker BioMarine has appointed Marte Haabeth Grindaker to the newly created position of sustainability manager. Grindaker comes from Marine Harvest Group, where she worked in public affairs. Grindaker has a broad volunteer background with key positions from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-Norway). She also worked as a consultant for Burson-Marsteller in public affairs for more than three years.

"More knowledge is needed when it comes to sustainability, because sustainable krill fishing is an important part of the management of Antarctica," said Muri. "If krill is overfished, or if other species are harmed during operation, it can endanger predators such aspenguins, seals and seabirds. Grindaker will play an important role in our long-term sustainability work, especially when it comes to increasing the awareness of these issues."

"We are at the forefront when it comes to sustainability and we want to maintain that position. We see our sustainability program as an important differentiator and reason why customers choose our krill over other krill products," Muri concluded.

At a glance: Aker BioMarine's leadership in innovation, science and sustainability