2017 Seafood Marketing Symposium

John Connelly became the President of the National Fisheries Institute in 2003. NFI is America’s leading trade association advocating for the fish and seafood community, representing the fish and seafood commerce chain – from “water to table.” NFI lobbies Congress and regulatory agencies, serves as the seafood community’s spokesperson with the media, and provides technical advice to its members.

He served as Chairman of International Coalition of Fisheries Associations and helped found the International Coalition of Aquaculture Associations. He also serves on the Marine Stewardship Council and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, the global tuna industry’s sustainability organization.
Connelly is the Treasurer of ALLFISH, a public-private partnership with The World Bank.

Before joining NFI, Connelly held business leadership and advocacy positions at the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry’s $110 million trade association.
Connelly graduated from The College of the Holy Cross (History). He earned a Masters in Business Administration at night from George Mason University.

After spending 15 years building regional Australia’s largest advertising agency, Ben Hale was looking forward to an early retirement in 2007 when a couple of Queensland seafood stalwarts challenged him to solve a marketing challenge for Endeavour Prawns.

The campaign that resulted helped return a fleet to profitability for less than the cost of replacing an auxiliary engine. Fast forward a decade and Ben still spends every day finding new ways to encourage Australians to celebrate more often with local seafood as the manager the ACPF and APFA’s “Love Australian Prawns” campaign.

Hayley lives in Narooma on the NSW south coast and has been involved in the seafood industry since birth. She is the sister, daughter and granddaughter of fishermen. Hayley has been working on fishing boats since she was 8, only taking time off for school and to complete a business degree in the USA.

After 4 years away from Australia, her family and the ocean Hayley knew where she wanted to be, so she returned home with some ideas and began a new business processing and selling the seafood that her family caught, directly to the public.

Currently Sealed Air – Market Manager Retail and Case Ready, Alan is focused on consumer engagement with packaging through Retail and into the home. Having developed packaging solutions as diverse as security banking, specialty labels and various foodstuffs Alan has wide experience in the application of packaging technology.

Alan is a founding member and former President of the Australasian Bioplastics Association and current member of the Australia Institute of Packaging the future of packaging is more than a career it is a passion!

Passionate about fresh food and the need for industry to connect with consumers, Chanel is Nielsen’s resident fresh expert. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the fresh food industry, and since joining Nielsen, has been focused on developing Nielsen’s engagement with industry. Chanel enjoys providing insights on the Australian retail landscape, and helping suppliers of fresh foods find opportunities to grow.

John Susman is Australia’s Mr Seafood. He has owned and operated seafood catching, processing, distribution, retail and restaurant businesses throughout Australia, marketed Australian seafood around the globe and consulted to the seafood industry and government agencies in his career. John operates specialist seafood consultancy Fishtales and is the head judge of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales Aquaculture competition. He has been inducted into the Fairfax Hall of (food) Fame and been the recipient of both the Delicious Providor of the Year award in 2013 and Maggie Beer Award for Commitment to the Food Industry. John’s seafood bible, Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook (Murdoch Books) is to be released in October 2017.

Claire is the back room V8 engine to Signature Oysters. She is an experienced environmental scientist and civil designer in her professional life whilst also supporting the family business. Her brother Ewan discussed the concept of Signature Oysters from the very start. She recognised that the disruptive business model was going to further support the family farm in growing high quality oysters for appreciative chefs and customers.

Claire was instrumental in setting up Signature Oysters and is passionate about its main aim – to support farmers deliver their best oysters to the best restaurants.

Chris Calogeras has over 30 years’ experience in fishing and seafood industry, including senior management positions within Government, operations manager at an award winning export focussed seafood company and for the last 17 years as Director of C-AID Consultants, an independent industry consultancy. Chris has formal training in resource and business management and seafood processing.

As a consultant Chris works with all sectors of the fishing and seafood industry to build capacity and develop sustainable outcomes across diverse groups. Chris has overseen or been involved in over 50 national research projects (see www.c-aid.com.au). Amongst his current roles he is the Executive Officer for the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association.

Peter Horvat is a Communications professional with more than 19 years of experience in Australian Government Communications working across a number of portfolios including health, transport and pesticides and veterinary medicine, as well managing two federal advertising campaigns. Peter is the head of Australia’s Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, responsible for the coordination of communication activities across over 400 projects Australia wide. With almost ten years working with Rural Research and Development Corporations Peter has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Australia’s primary production landscape. He has worked with all sectors of the Australian fishing and aquaculture industries looking at both domestic and international issues. His current focus is on increasing public awareness of the best practice and management of Australia’s fishing industry.

Arty grew up in the small remote fishing town of Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria and spent his formative years working with his grandfather and father in the fishing industry. Today, A Raptis & Sons is a vertically integrated fishing company turning over $150 million. It operates 16 fishing vessels nationally and employs 300 staff, all with the support of family and a strong leadership team. Five shareholders in the second generation own the fishing company along with other successful companies under the family business umbrella.

Arty will be speaking about innovative thinking, advancements in seafood packaging and cold chain logistics of seafood in a modern age.

Sam Gordon is the Managing Director of Blue Harvest, an Australian specialist seafood sales and marketing agency. The agency works with the best domestic and international seafood producers to consolidate supply, sell and market premium quality seafood products to major Australian seafood retailers and wholesalers.

Sam has over 25 years’ experience working in the Australian seafood industry in collaboration with producers and markets and is responsible for Business administration and development and Blue Harvest’s business relationships with clients.

App. Sc. – Aquaculture
Grad Dip Bus. Mgmt. (AGSM)
Churchill Fellow 1998

Veronica is the Managing Director of Sydney Fresh Seafood group. She is a third generation seafood retailer and a Director of OceanWatch Australia. Veronica was a member of the Leadership Task Force that was formed to develop the case for a new peak body for the seafood industry. She then took on the role of Chair and communications driver of the Implementation Group to build industry support to form Seafood Industry Australia.

Veronica brings to the board the experience and perspective of a retailer, with a holistic understanding of the industry and its full spectrum of participants. Veronica has extensive experience in designing and executing effective communication and marketing strategies and exhibits strong expertise in accounting, with experience of both financial and management accounting strategies.

Previous to her current role at Sydney Fresh Seafood, Veronica worked in the area of online marketing, customer service and event planning in the telecommunications, motor vehicle and corporate events industries. Veronica has a Bachelor of Economics (major in Marketing and Accounting) from Sydney University and a Diploma in Event Management from University of Technology Sydney.She is a 2015 graduate of the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program (NSILP) and is involved in the Seafood Directions 2017 Organising Committee.