Standard Steering Committee

Francisco has been with MarinTrust, the leading Certification Program for Marine Ingredients, from its early development within IFFO (the marine ingredients organisation), to becoming the CEO of MarinTrust in 2020. With over 15 years of experience in the food sector, specialising in marine ingredients, Francisco has unique expertise in responsible sourcing, sustainable production practices, and digital traceability in the marine ingredient supply chain. This expertise in traceability led him to join the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) Supervisory Board, while also contributing to the Technical Committee shaping the GSA Seafood Processing Standard. Since 2014, Francisco has also been focused on fisheries for reduction in South East Asia and Latin America through the MarinTrust Improver Programme, resulting in positive changes at the legislative level of previously struggling fisheries. All of this is part of his overall mission of cementing the future of marine ingredients as vital and sustainable sources of nutrition for the world.

Francisco holds a MSc in Fisheries Engineering from UNALM (Peru) and a MSc in Marine Ecology and Environmental Management from Queen Mary University (London).

Geraldine Fox PhD is Quality Director for Pelagia (UK & Ireland division), one of the main producers of marine ingredients (fishmeal, fish oil and hydrolysed fish protein) in Europe supplying the aquafeed, AgriFeed and pet food sectors. During her long association with the company she has developed an in depth knowledge of the industry, from responsible sourcing of raw materials, safety assured and responsible production and product development and testing, to the implementation and maintenance of the company’s quality and environmental management systems and community and industry liaison.

Her current work focuses on compliance and regulatory affairs and driving product improvement and sustainability initiatives to meet the ever-changing requirements of third-party standards, marine ingredient stakeholders and regulatory bodies. She has built strong relationships within the industry and with various regulatory and certification bodies and has an excellent understanding of the complexities of marine ingredient traceability and the importance of developing robust sustainability programmes for the protection of our valuable marine resources.

Mike has over 35 years of experience in seafood standards development and implementation, spanning policymaking, regulation, catching, farming, processing, and retailing globally. He has held key roles at Seafish, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, SAI Global, and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Currently a consulting partner at the Global Dialogue for Seafood Traceability (GDST), Mike has extensive expertise in major fishery, aquaculture, and supply chain standards. He played a pivotal role in developing the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) for the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) and contributed to its alignment with global sustainability initiatives.
 
Mike has been a technical expert and auditor for the MarinTrust Standards since its inception, supporting with the development of the MarinTrust Chain of Custody Standard Version 2.0. In addition, as Chair of the Seafood Processing Standard Technical Committee, he oversees the redevelopment of standards using a multi-stakeholder approach. A skilled auditor and trainer, Mike specialises in Quality Management Systems, HACCP, Chain of Custody, and Health & Safety, consistently delivering successful projects both locally and internationally.

Alex is the Senior Coordinator of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s Feed Standard. The ASC Feed Standard uses an improvement model for marine ingredients which requires feed mills to source from more sustainable fisheries over time. MarinTrust plays a crucial role in this mechanism and forms some of the key steppingstones for improvement.

Alex brings experience in standard development, project management, strategic planning, business development, stakeholder engagement and research. She previously worked for the Soil Association as their standards manager, leading the governance, maintenance and development of their organic standards schemes, with a focus on aquaculture and feed. She has technical knowledge in due diligence assessments, value chain analysis, certification, access to markets and finance. Her roles have included work in Europe, South Asia, South East Asia and Eastern Africa