One of the founders of Icelandic fishing giant Samherji is set to step down in the next few day after more than forty years at the centre of the company’s growth.
Ship’s engineer Kristján Vilhelmsson was one of the three founders of the company when they bought a laid-up trawler in 1983 and turned it into a filleter, setting the foundations of what has become a company with activities around the world, and which has been highly controversial on occasions.
Now he’s retiring from his post as director of the company’s seagoing operations.
‘This isn’t an eight-to-five job, but a passion and there are many good memories. Everything comes to an end and this announcement shouldn’t take anyone by surprise,’ he said, commenting that the future looks promising.
Kristján Vilhelmsson’s decision to retire follows the announcement last year of his co-founder and the company’s managing director Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson taking a similar step back.
‘There’s a new generation taking over the company and its future looks bright. There are opportunities at hand,’ he said.
‘I have enjoyed my work and parting from my colleagues will most likely be the hardest part of this. The heart of a company is in its staff it has been our good fortune to have had a picked team with us, both at sea and ashore.’
