Sigurdur Olason, the former managing director of Icelandic processing equipment manufacturer Marel's fish division, has been appointed CEO of Norwegian processing technology provider Optimar International.
Last month, Iceland-based Kaldbakur, the investment vehicle for the owners of Icelandic seafood giant Samherji, acquired Optimar from German investment firm Franz Haniel & Cie. Olason's career started at Samherji many years ago when he worked as a fishermen for two years before starting university.
As part of Kaldbakur's portfolio, Optimar will continue to operate as an independent company.
Headquartered in Valderoya just outside Alesund, Norway, Optimar is a supplier of automated fish processing systems for use onboard fishing vessels, on land and in aquaculture.
The company has facilities in Norway, Spain, Romania, and the United States, and employs 260 people worldwide.
Olason was appointed executive vice president of Marel Fish in 2014, where he remained for almost six years.
In 2021, he became CEO of the startup Green Fuel, a company focusing on energy transition in the fishing and cargo fleet in Iceland.
