US-based Gorton's Seafood announced Thursday Judson Reis, who has been with the company for more than 29 years, will retire as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2020. Upon Judson's retirement, Kurt Hogan will be promoted from vice president of Sales to president and CEO of Gorton's.

During Reis's tenure as president and CEO, the company's retail product ingredients have been dramatically simplified, health profiles have been improved, core products significantly upgraded, new innovations successfully added and cross functional teams have been established around customers, the company said.

Gorton's has invested in operations, including major capital investments at the company's facilities, as well as implementing changes to reduce costs and enhance Gorton's ability to support the category.

Reis joined Gorton's in 1990 as an associate marketing manager after completing his MBA from the Columbia School of Business. He was promoted to vice president of Marketing in 2004 and was named president and CEO in 2009.

He is a past chairman of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and founding chairman of the non-profit Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP).

His successor, Hogan, has been with Gorton's for 28 years. He joined the company in 1991 as a field-based regional business manager, after spending six years in sales positions with General Foods.

In 1995, he transferred to Gloucester to become an area trade planning manager in Customer Marketing. From 1995 to 2010, he held several sales management positions, and in 2010, Hogan was named director of sales, with responsibility for the Northeast United States, Canada and for all sales administration. In February 2012, he was promoted to vice president of sales, a role he has held for the last seven years.

"Kurt's knowledge of the drivers of our business, expertise in sales management and customer relationships are especially valuable as we pursue the next phase of growth," said Reis. "At a time when our industry is experiencing dramatic change to satisfy the evolving needs of today's consumers, Kurt is the right person to lead the business forward."

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Gorton's Seafood CEO retiring