AMERICAN SEAFOODS STRENGTHENS POSITION IN JAPAN WITH KEY EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT

American Seafoods strengthens position in Japan with key executive appointment. Shusuke Yatera, seasoned leader in the Japanese surimi market and sustainable seafood, appointed President of ASC Japan. Current President of Japan, George Uyeno, to retire after a distinguished 25-year career at American Seafoods.

American Seafoods Group (‘American Seafoods” or “the Company’), a global leader in sustainable proteins and one of the world’s largest at-sea processors of wild Alaska pollock and wild Pacific hake, announced the appointment of Shusuke Yatera to the role of President of ASC Japan. Yatera succeeds George Uyeno, who has retired after a distinguished 25-year career at American Seafoods.

Yatera is a seasoned seafood industry leader who brings more than 20 years of experience to American Seafoods. Throughout his career, he has developed significant expertise in the Southeast Asian surimi markets. As President of ASC Japan, Yatera will oversee all of American Seafoods’ operations and initiatives in Japan and Southeast Asia, reporting directly to Rasmus Soerensen, Chief Commercial Officer.

“Yatera is a proven leader in the Japanese surimi markets and Southeast Asia more broadly and we look forward to his invaluable contributions at American Seafoods as we further expand in Japan,” said Einar Gustafsson, CEO of American Seafoods. “Leveraging his know-how in the region’s surimi market and experience trading sustainable food, Yatera will help propel American Seafoods through our next chapter of growth in Japan and Southeast Asia. American Seafoods is committed to Japan, a critical market for us, and we are eager to support our Japanese customers and cement stronger relationships with our long-term partners.”

“American Seafoods is the leading provider of sustainable seafood products to Southeast Asia, and I look forward to accelerating our growth in Japan,” said Yatera. “I am deeply passionate about elevating the value and importance of Alaska’s seafood industry and am excited to deliver sustainable, affordable, and healthy protein products at scale. At American Seafoods, I will be focused on marketing environmentally-friendly products, increasing the value of my customers’ products and developing seafood paste products or Kamaboko products.”

For more than 20 years working at a leading food raw materials trading company, Yatera has consistently delivered results and supported rapid growth. Before joining American Seafoods, Yatera was at Tokai Denpun and helped build the company to become the foremost surimi trader in Japan. During his time at Tokai Denpun, he drove sales initiatives and strategies and was focused on importing surimi from North America to Southeast Asia in addition to other areas around the world.

Gustafsson continued:

“On the behalf of all of us at American Seafoods we would like to extend a big thank you to Uyeno for all of his great work and contributions throughout his long, prosperous career. We have deeply valued his long-term commitment to American Seafoods and the foundation he has built in the region for us to build upon as the face of American Seafoods in Japan for more than two decades.”

 About American Seafoods Group

American Seafoods is a global leader in sustainable proteins and in the harvesting, processing, preparation and supply of frozen at sea, wild-caught seafood. Harvesting a variety of fish species from the rich, pristine waters of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, American Seafoods processes seafood into a wide array of finished products on board its state-of-the-art fleet of vessels. American Seafoods produces a diverse range of fillet, surimi, roe and block product offerings, made from Alaska pollock, Pacific hake, Pacific cod, and yellowfin sole that yielded 1.3 billion servings of sustainable seafood in 2023. Finished products from our sustainable fisheries are sold worldwide through an extensive global distribution and customer support network. From the ocean to the plate, American Seafoods has established a global sourcing, selling, marketing and distribution network bringing sustainably-harvested seafood to consumers worldwide. For more information, please visit us at www.americanseafoods.com.