German seafood processing equipment manufacturer Baader has hired industry veteran Jon Birgir Gunnarsson as chief sales and marketing officer (CSO), for Skaginn 3X and Baader Iceland, based in Reykjavik.

Gunnarsson has extensive experience in the seafood processing equipment sector, including five years as managing director at Marel between 2009 and 2014.

He most recently worked as sales and marketing director at Icelandic-Norwegian seafood technology company Valka.

It is not Gunnarsson's first role at Skaginn. He helped lead the development of the company's brand identity and image as sales and marketing director during the company's growth stage between 2016 and 2019, before it was acquired by Baader in 2020.

“With the appointment of Jon Birgir Gunnarsson, we are further strengthening our position in the Icelandic market and our expertise on superior pelagic processing solutions to the benefit of our customers,” said Baader Fish Managing Director Robert Focke.

Gunnarsson will be responsible for accelerating sales activities in the local Icelandic market for the entire Baader portfolio.

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German processing equipment giant Baader acquired 100 percent of Icelandic group Skaginn 3X in February, after taking a majority stake in the firm at the end of 2020.

Baader said at the time it would fully integrate Skaginn 3X, developing pelagic and whitefish processing solutions, as well as subchilling, thawing, freezing and co-product handling for the seafood, poultry and meat sectors.

Baader has been acquisitive in recent years, having also acquired Swedish fish-processing manufacturer SEAC in 2021.

SEAC supplies fish processing machinery for small pelagic fish species such as anchovy, as well as whitefish such as Alaska pollock, hake and blue whiting.