Hanrahan to Succeed Palmer as OBI CEO

Seattle-based OBI Seafoods this week announced a change of command in its executive leadership, with John Hanrahan to become chief executive officer following the December retirement of CEO Mark Palmer, who has been with the company for 40 years.

The company also announced that Monica Hollenback was being promoted to chief financial officer, filling the vacancy left with the pending retirement of CFO Tony Ross, also in December.

Palmer began his career with Ocean Beauty as a truck driver in Idaho and held numerous positions before becoming CEO in 2007. When Ocean Beauty merged with Icicle Seafoods in 2020 to become OBI, he became CEO of the new firm.

OBI board of directors co-chairs Len Stewart and Robin Samuelson said in a Nov. 6 joint statement that OBI was fortunate to have Palmer and Ross as part of their executive team and appreciated their decades of commitment. The statement also expressed confidence that Hanrahan and Hollenback would provide future leadership for OBI.

Both Hanrahan and Hollenback have decades of experience with OBI and its predecessor, Ocean Beauty Seafoods. Hanrahan started with Ocean Beauty in 1987 as a staff accountant and has worked in many operational and business development roles in his 36 years with the company.

He became the chief operating officer of Ocean Beauty in 2007 and then OBI Seafoods’ COO, responsible for sales and operations, in 2020. Hollenback started with Ocean Beauty in 1993 and has served in multiple accounting and finance roles, most recently as controller of OBI.

She’s had extensive experience developing the company’s accounting teams and merging accounting systems during mergers and acquisitions, as well as managing banking and financial relationships for the company.

Ross began his career in 1988 at Booth Fisheries in Salt Lake City, which was soon after purchased by Ocean Beauty. He moved to Seattle to become controller of distribution, then held various financial roles at Ocean Beauty culminating in being named CFO in 2007.

During his time with the company, he managed the mergers of Circle Sea, Landlock Seafoods, and Ocean Beauty/Icicle. He became CFO of OBI when the company was formed in 2020 alongside of Palmer.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/hanrahan-to-succeed-palmer-as-obi-ceo/