Malcolm Pye, founder and CEO of aquaculture health, nutrition and genetics business, Benchmark, is stepping down to allow the company to appoint a new CEO "to drive the next phase of Benchmark's growth and development."

The move follows a lowering of Benchmark's full-year profit expectations, which Pye told IntraFish at the time was down to poor planning and a subsequent share price slump.

It also comes just over a month after the announcement from CFO Mark Plampin that he would also be leaving his role.