Larsen defeats opposition to join board of Icelandic salmon farmer
Renate Larsen, the former Chief Executive of the Norwegian Seafood Council, has won a seat on the board of Icelandic salmon farmer Kaldvik – but not without controversy.
Kaldvik is majority-owned by the Norwegian Måsøval family company, through Austur Holding AS, which controls around 55% of the shares in the business. Until last year, Kaldvik went under the name of Ice Fish Farm.
Austur had sent a message that “…it will support the proposal through its vote at the general meeting, that the general meeting elects Renate Larsen as a new member of the board of directors of Kaldvik AS.”
The company added on its website: “…but a group of shareholders representing about 30% of the holding in Kaldvik had put forward an alternative candidate and proposed that the general meeting elects Ingveldur Ásta Björnsdóttir as a new member of the board of directors of Kaldvik AS.”
It added yesterday: “An extraordinary general meeting in Kaldvik AS was held today, 28 January 2025, at 12:00 hours (CET) with approximately 87.42% of all shares entitled to vote present either in person or by proxy.
“The extraordinary general meeting resolved to elect Renate Larsen as new board member in the Company.”
The statement meant the rebel opposition proposal had been overwhelmingly defeated.
Ingveldur Ásta Björnsdóttir, the alternative candidate, is Director, Customers & Service with Reitir Fasteignafélag hf, an Iceland-based real estate company, but her CV states she has also worked extensively in investments and operations, as well as working closely with fisheries and fisheries technology companies.
Renate Larsen holds a master’s degree in economics from the Norwegian School of Management, specialising in strategy, organisation and management. She took over as CEO of the Seafood Council in 2016 after holding a similar position in Lerøy Aurora.
During her tenure at the Seafood Council she was the first CEO to oversee annual Norwegian fish exports soar to more than NOK 100 million.
She stepped down after more than six years in the post in the spring of 2022 to take various commercial executive positions. Among other roles she is currently: Chairman of health authority Helse Nord RHF; Chairman and CEO of seaweed business Oceanfood AS; and a board member of aquaculture service group Frøy, and land based fish farming technology business VAQ AS.
Kaldvik AS is one of the leading salmon farmers in Iceland, with a fully integrated value-chain controlling all steps from hatchery to sales.
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