Leadership Team

Meet our Leadership Team — A seasoned team of management professionals leading Clearwater in its mission to build the world’s most extraordinary, wild seafood company dedicated to sustainable seafood excellence.

Ian D. Smith | Chief Executive Officer

Ian D. Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Seafoods. Ian joined Clearwater in May of 2010, with over 32 years of international experience in the food and consumer products industry. Prior to joining Clearwater, Ian held senior leadership positions at the Campbell Soup Company in Canada, the United States and China. Prior to his time at Campbell’s, Ian held various marketing, sales and international business development positions with Allergan, Colgate-Palmolive and the Gillette Company. Ian has held various director roles (both past and present) on a number of boards and advisory councils focused on international trade and public policy, including the Business Council of Canada, Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council of the Asia Pacific Foundation, and Rabobank’s North America Agribusiness Advisory Board. He is a graduate of McGill University, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Masters of Business Administration, in addition to being a former Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve. Ian currently serves in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve as Honorary Colonel for 36 Combat Engineer Regiment in Nova Scotia.

Darryl Bergman | Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Darryl Bergman joined Clearwater Seafoods in June of 2022 as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Darryl is responsible for financial and management reporting, treasury, taxation, stakeholder relations, risk management, and information systems and technology. Darryl has over 25 years of multi-national financial leadership in finance and management reporting, mergers and acquisitions, treasury, and enterprise risk management experience, in various business sectors, including aviation, aerospace, energy, food processing, chemical, steel, and pulp and paper. Prior to joining Clearwater, Darryl was Chief Financial Officer for Exchange Income Corporation, a TSX publicly-traded, diversified portfolio company headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Darryl is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), with various degrees and certifications, including a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, Masters of Business Administration, Masters Chief Financial Officer and Enterprise Risk Management.

Christine A. Penney | Vice President, Sustainability and Public Affairs

Christine Penney joined Clearwater Seafoods in 1995 and is the Vice President of Sustainability and Public Affairs. Christine oversees the company’s sustainability programs, including fisheries research and management of core species and third party certification programs, in addition to corporate public affairs and communications. Christine has been on the Board of Trustees for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which also included the role as Co-chair of Stakeholder Council, since 2009. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for several industry associations, including the Fisheries Council of Canada, Seafood Producers of Nova Scotia, and the Association of Sustainable Fisheries. Christine is a graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, where she received a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Marine Management.

Dieter Gautschi | Vice President, Human Resources

Dieter Gautschi is Vice President of Human Resources at Clearwater Seafoods and is responsible for driving organizational performance on a global scale, as well as the company’s capability and capacity. Dieter joined Clearwater in July of 2015, bringing over 15 years of global experience in senior human resource roles in the food and retail industry. Prior to Clearwater, Dieter was Vice President of Leadership Planning and National Director of Human Resources for Sobeys Inc., in addition to holding senior roles in human resources with Coca Cola in Europe. A Canadian citizen and native of Switzerland, Dieter holds a Masters of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and a degree in Naval Architecture.

Tony Jabbour | Vice President, Fleet Operations

Tony Jabbour began his career with Clearwater Seafoods in 1993 after studying Business Administration at St. Mary’s University in Halifax. He continued to expand his skills both academically and professionally through extensive training courses and hands-on global experience. In 2003, Tony accepted the role as General Manager of Clearwater’s lobster division, overseeing the restructure of the European lobster operation, while also playing an instrumental role in the research and development of high-pressure lobster shucking technology. In 2010, Tony transitioned to Clearwater’s fleet team as Senior Operations Manager, working alongside the Vice President, department managers and captains to advance a continuous improvement culture and harvesting automations onboard vessels, which included the commercialization of Clearwater’s proprietary automatic shucking technology. Today, Tony is the Vice President of Fleet Operations, responsible for Clearwater’s global harvesting operations in Canada, Argentina and Scotland, while also leading in the areas of fleet gear and processing research and development.

Darren Bowen | Vice President, Supply Chain

Joining Clearwater Seafoods in 2015, Darren Bowen is Vice President of Global Supply Chain and brings over 25 years of senior leadership experience in the fast-moving food and consumer products industry. Darren is a recognized industry leader in global supply chain management and has held senior transformational leadership roles at Estée Lauder, Kraft Foods, Mars and Clorox, all of which have focused on driving product, process and people innovation, operational excellence, and supply chain and industry collaboration. Darren is a graduate of York University and Georgia Institute of Technologies and is responsible for building the global supply chain network and organizational capabilities for Clearwater.

Telaina M. Kelly | Vice President, Legal & Corporate Secretary

Telaina Kelly is Vice President, Legal and Corporate Secretary for Clearwater Seafoods, managing the company’s legal department and overseeing legal affairs globally. Telaina is also responsible for legal and corporate secretarial functions, including securities reporting, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and enterprise risk management, in addition to supporting a wide range of commercial and operational matters. Telaina joined Clearwater in 2015, having held senior management roles in private sector and law firm environments. Telaina holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary. She also holds a Certified In-House Council Canada (CIC.C) designation from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business. Throughout the course of her career, Telaina has served in various volunteer and Board positions in the legal and business community, and is a volunteer lawyer with the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. Telaina is actively involved in the Women General Counsel Canada (WGCC) Atlantic Chapter.