Former Labeyrie boss Gavore set to join Kingfish Company supervisory board
Dutch seriola farmer The Kingfish Company has nominated experienced seafood executive Xavier Govare to join its supervisory board as a replacement for Alexandrew van der Wees, who is stepping down.
Govare has more than three decades of experience in the food industry, including 15 years as chairman and chief executive of Labeyrie Fine Foods, which owns salmon smoker Farne Salmon & Trout Ltd in Duns in the Scottish Borders.
During his tenure, he transformed the company into a leading international food group, growing revenue from €30 million to €1.1 billion and completing multiple strategic acquisitions, said Kingfish Company in a stock market announcement.
“Mr Govare is renowned for his strategic vision, marketing expertise, brand development, financial and operational management. He has extensive experience managing industrial operations across Europe and navigating complex shareholder structures, including listed companies, LBOs (leveraged buy-outs), and private ownership. He currently serves on the boards of several organisations in the agri-food and packaging sectors,” the company added.
Govare’s roles include chairing the board of Pure Salmon France, which intends to develop a 10,000-tonnes-per-year recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) salmon farm in Verdon-sur-Mer, north of Bordeaux, and operates a smoked salmon and salmon pet food factory in Boulogne.
AquaPri
Van der Wees is relinquishing his role to focus on his job as chief executive of Danish trout and zander (Sander lucioperca) farmer AquaPri, following his family’s purchase of a majority stake in the family-owned company last year.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to follow The Kingfish Company's journey since 2019 as a member of the supervisory board,” said van der Wees. “Having recently taken a CEO responsibility in the field of aquaculture, it is now time for me to shift my focus. And I am convinced that my successor will be a strong addition to The Kingfish Company, as a fresh yet very experienced set of new eyes.”
In addition to Govare’s nomination, the Kingfish Company has nominated investment professional Charles Francois to join as a new member and chairman.
François has more than 15 years of international experience in private equity, corporate strategy, and merges and acquisitions. He is currently investment director at Creadev, leading initiatives within the aquaculture platform and the broader food industry. Previously, he held key leadership roles at Roquette, including M&A and strategy for North America, and product line management for the Asia Pacific region.
The nominations will be voted on at Kingfish Company’s annual general meeting on June 4.