Ex Premier aide joins Seafood Norway

Seafood Norway, the aquaculture and fishing employers organisation, has hired Peder Egseth, the former right hand man to ex Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg, to head the organisation’s business policy.

He takes over next month and will lead and coordinate the organisation’s work with the Storting, authorities, political parties, NGOs and other central actors.

“With a background as state secretary at the Prime Minister’s office and a heavy political, economic and organisational background, Peder is the right man for Sjømat Norge [Seafood Norway]”, says CEO Geir Ove Ystmark.

In Norway, a state secretary is a partisan political position within the executive branch of government, although the post is below that of a minister.

Egseth takes over from Aina Valland who is leaving to take up the post of Communications Manager at Lerøy Seafood Group.

In addition to political work, Egseth will have professional responsibility for tax and excise policy – a sensitive subject in aquaculture at the moment – and will follow up on much of the heavy cross-cutting business policy.

Egseth says that he is looking forward to starting in the organisation, and to working together with the many skilled professionals, company managers and union representatives.

He added: “Working closely with the coastal industry is very motivating. The seafood industry consists of owners and business managers who are passionate about building communities and creating more jobs.”