Since August 2023, I am the General Manager of The German Association of Fish Processing and Wholesale (Bundesverband der deutschen Fischindustrie und des Fischgroßhandels e.V., BVFi). The Association was founded on September 16, 1903 in Hamburg-Altona. It represents 126 member companies, 47 of which are fish processing companies and 57 fish import and fish wholesale companies (as of 01.01.23). In the field of processing, BVFi achieves coverage of 95% for companies with more than 50 employees and 84% when considering companies with 20 employees and more.With more than 10 years’ experience of professional networking in the European aquaculture industry and research sector, I have developed a strong profile in linking people and topics from various backgrounds hence building new ideas and knowledge. For the last five years, I have developed a broad skillset in business development and governance in the domain of fisheries, aquaculture and food production. I have been active in executive roles of two professional associations and several ad-hoc groups, networks and projects. I was born and raised in Bonn, Germany, where I achieved my under-graduate in biology, followed by a Diploma from University Oldenburg in 2007. After that, I took a researcher position at University Hamburg and worked as a guest scientist for the Danish Technical University for more than 3 years, graduating with my PhD in fisheries science on an aquaculture related topic. After that I moved further north and worked first as PostDoc and later as network coordinator for a private research organization in Büsum, Schleswig-Holstein, and as a governmental consultant for the Chamber of Agriculture for three years. From 2019 until 2023 I coordinated Germany's first Blue Bioeconomy Cluster BaMS. BaMS combines the leading research organizations, as well as innovative companies and influencers of the blue bioeconomy value chain in northern Germany.