MSC welcomes new Board member

Jul 23, 2009

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is welcoming Hervé Gomichon to its Board of Trustees. Mr Gomichon's appointment follows the departure last June of Ms Margaret Wittenberg, Global Vice President of Quality Standards and Public Affairs for Whole Foods Market, Inc and a serving MSC Board member since June 2002.

Over the past 20 years, Hervé Gomichon has worked extensively on hygiene and quality for food products in both the production and retail sector. He joined Carrefour Marchandises Internationales in 2001. Hervé's leadership work with Carrefour spans the full spectrum of hygiene and quality issues. One of his primary tasks was to provide international support on European private label products. Hervé was appointed as the Group Quality Director in mid-2008. Prior to joining the Carrefour Group, he held a number of positions at Bureau Veritas and Fromageries Bel. Hervé holds a degree in veterinary medicine.

Hervé Gomichon said: "I feel very honoured to be elected to the MSC Board. Over the past ten years, while working for Carrefour Group I've witnessed the MSC growing from a bold idea into the most tangible, independent and widely marketed option for sustainable seafood. I look forward to working with the MSC Board to build on the achievements of the first decade and to deliver the MSC's strategic objectives for the years to come."

Ms Margaret Wittenberg commented: "It has been both an honor and a privilege serving on the MSC Board. While I will miss working with such a talented and dedicated group of individuals, I am glad to have had the opportunity to help shape the MSC programme as it responded to the challenge of improving the MSC certification process for fisheries and establishing the MSC ecolabel across global markets. I wish the MSC and the Board much continued success."

Chairman, Will Martin, added: "Margaret has been on our Board since the 'pioneer days' of MSC and has been very instrumental in the organization's development. We are immensely grateful for her excellent contribution over the past seven years, and we will miss her good work and good spirit. We are very pleased to have Hervé Gomichon join our board team. Hervé brings to the Board extensive experience and expertise in the French marketplace as well as retail markets globally, and we look forward to working closely with him to complete the task of establishing the MSC as world's leading certification and ecolabelling programme for sustainable seafood. "

At its meeting on 17th of June 2009, the MSC board also decided to extend the appointment of Mr Javier Corcuera to the MSC Board.

For more information on the MSC Board of Trustees, please visit: http://www.msc.org/about-us/governance/structure/board-of-trustees