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Minister McConalogue announced appointment of Caroline Bocquel as CEO of Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Minister McConalogue announces appointment of Caroline Bocquel as Chief Executive Officer of Bord Iascaigh Mhara
The Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced the appointment (by BIM) of Caroline Bocquel as Chief Executive (CEO) of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency.
Welcoming the appointment of the new CEO, Minister McConalogue stated, “I am delighted to announce the appointment by BIM of Caroline Bocquel as its new Chief Executive Officer. In a period of unprecedented challenges for the seafood sector, Caroline’s extensive experience will help to ensure that BIM has the necessary leadership to deliver a sustainable future for Ireland’s seafood industry.
As CEO of BIM, leading a team of 140 people located in six main coastal locations in Ireland, the new CEO will oversee the development of the Irish seafood sector, valued at €1.26 billion in 2021, building on its natural advantages, a strong commitment to sustainable fishing and the development of a high-quality aquaculture and seafood processing sector.
The Minister continued, “Caroline takes on the role of CEO at a time when BIM is charged with the implementation of a range of schemes for industry with a total value of €265m under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) scheme, delivering on the recommendations of the recent Seafood Taskforce. The aim of these schemes is to develop and restructure the sector, ensuring it is profitable and sustainable into the future and to identify opportunities for jobs and economic activity in coastal communities dependent on the sector. 2023 will also see the launch of the new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFF) schemes, with a value of €258m, further supporting the sector’s ability for sustainable growth and development.”
Caroline Bocquel has extensive managerial and change leadership experience, with an emphasis on diversity, equality and inclusion with previous posts held including Director of Corporate Service in the Marine Institute and a period as Chief Financial Officer of GOAL (the international humanitarian response agency). Caroline is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland, holds a Degree in Business and Languages from Technological University Dublin and has completed programmes at Harvard Business School and the Institute of Directors.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara Chair, Aidan Cotter welcomed Ms Bocquel and said:
“Following a rigorous search process, I am pleased to announce Caroline’s appointment as CEO at BIM. Caroline brings significant drive, experience and insight to her new role that will help take the organisation and Ireland’s seafood industry to the next level of sustainable development and secure its future in the face of major change. She is a strong leader with extensive experience and sectoral knowledge, and I look forward to working with her in the coming years.”
Commenting on her new role, Caroline Bocquel said:
“I am delighted to take on the role of CEO at BIM at this critical time, where the need for innovation and strong leadership has never been more necessary. The Irish seafood industry has shown enormous resilience and ingenuity in the face of challenges, turning them into opportunities in many cases. I am confident we can leverage the industry’s skillsets to deliver BIM’s vision to significantly boost value creation of an Irish sustainable seafood sector, across the supply chain, from catch to consumer. I look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to deliver on this mission, particularly my colleagues on the senior leadership team, the wider BIM team, and the industry we serve.”
Source: Press Release
