The Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) has hired former Icicle CEO Amy Humphreys as president and CEO, and BBNC shareholder Everette Anderson as senior vice president of Bristol Bay Seafood Investments (BBSI).
In their new positions, Humphreys and Anderson will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight to Bristol Bay Seafood Investments and its subsidiary Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods, the company resulting from the merger of Blue North and Clipper Seafoods under BBNC.
BBNC acquired Blue North Fisheries and Clipper Seafoods in September 2019 and organized the two companies under the banner of Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods. As part of the transaction, BBNC also created BBSI to serve as a holding company for Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods and any future seafood investments.
“This investment is about expansion and economic opportunity for BBNC and all of Alaska as this opportunity will help us expand internationally,” said Jason Metrokin, president and CEO of BBNC.
- The Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) acquired Bering Sea cod producers Blue North Fisheries and Clipper Seafoods;
- Combined, the new company controls 37 percent of the hook-and-line/catcher-processor cod quota in the Bering Sea;
- Blue North and Clipper will operate as Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods, a newly formed subsidiary of BBNC;
- Blue North operates five vessels: Blue North; Blue Pacific; Blue Gadus; Blue Ballard; and Blue Attu;
- Clipper Seafoods operates six vessels: Frontier Spirit; Frontier Mariner; Frontier Explorer; Clipper Epic; Clipper Surprise; and Clipper Endeavor
Anderson has served on the BBNC board of directors since 2013 and has decades of experience in the seafood and rural energy industries, most recently serving as senior commercial manager at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). He will be stepping down from his board position to take this new role.
“What an amazing opportunity,” he said. “While proudly serving my fellow shareholders on the BBNC board of directors was an honor, my new role in BBSI offers a chance to assist in growing the BBNC seafood platform while also expanding the Alaska economy, which is very appealing to me.”
Humpreys, who served as CEO of Icicle Seafoods from early 2013 to May 2015, was replaced by CEO Chris Ruettgers, who later left to join Mark Foods as president following the Cooke Seafood takeover.
“I am thrilled with this opportunity to serve BBNC’s shareholders,” said Humphreys. “The seafood industry is incredibly dynamic and offers boundless opportunities to deliver premium products to the world market. I’m pleased to join the solid team in place at BBNC and work together to expand further in the global seafood sector.”
Humpreys returns
Before joining Icicle, Humphreys served as president of Alaska petroleum marketing and distribution company Delta Western, and before that served as CEO of Northstar Utilities Group and held various roles, including vice president of corporate development and treasurer at American Seafoods Group. Humphreys currently sits on the board of American Seafoods, Aker Grop affiliate Aker Philiadephia Shipyard, Blue Harvest Fisheries, Premera Blue Cross, FirstFruits HoldCo, and RLH Corporation.
Last September, the Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) gained approval from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to move forward with its acquisition of Clipper Seafoods and Blue North Fisheries, two of the largest harvesters and marketers of hook-and-line Pacific cod in the United States.
Combined, the two companies now control 37 percent of the hook-and-line/catcher-processor cod quota in the Bering Sea.
Former Clipper Seafoods President David Little and Michael and Patrick Burns of Blue North Fisheries will continue to manage operations of Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods.
Both Humphreys and Anderson begin their new roles immediately.
