Xavier Govare
Chief Executive

Appointed Chief Executive in August 2006. Joined Labeyrie in 1989 after previous positions within Unilever, Best Food and Novartis. In 1999 he became General Manager of Labeyrie, presiding over Labeyrie’s listing that year on the Paris stock exchange. When Labeyrie was delisted in 2002 Xavier became CEO of Financière de Kiel, until his appointment as Group Chief Executive.

Joined Labeyrie as Chief Financial Officer in 2000. After his MBA with ESCParis, he qualified as a Chartered Public Accountant with KPMG and held various senior positions at the multinational Cargill, both in France and the United States before joining Labeyrie. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Group in January 2007.

Joined in March 2006, having been at the Investment Banking division of Kaupthing Bank. He has over 12 years of corporate finance and commercial experience within the food industry. Originally qualified as a lawyer with the international law firm Clifford Chance, he is member of the UK Securities and Investment Institute.

Joined Lyons Seafoods in 1997 as Chief Executive. From 1976 to 1993 he worked for the multinational Borden International where he became Group Vice President for Dairy International. Prior to joining Lyons Seafoods he was CEO of Needlers Ltd. He is chairman of the trustees of the LSF Retirement Benefit Plan and is a director on the board of Seafish Industry Authority.

Xavier Gaudio
Managing Director - Labeyrie

Joined Labeyrie in 2004 after previous positions within Danone Group as Marketing and General Manager and as General Manager at Saupiquet.

Philippe Darthenucq
Managing Director - Delpierre

Joined Labeyrie in 1990 as head of sales and marketing and has been General Manager of Delpierre since 2005. Previously worked in sales and marketing at the multinational Colgate-Palmolive. He is a graduate of Bordeaux Management and Business School.

Pierre Yves Ballif
Managing Director- Blini and LTG

Joined Blini in March 2005. Previously, spent seven years as General Manager at Yoplait responsible for France and rest of Europe. Prior to that he held several marketing and sales positions within Danone Group. He holds a HEC and a law degree.

Joined the company in March 2006. Previously General Manager of Pinneys, a subsidiary of Uniq plc producing salmon, and before that he held positions in production and purchasing. He holds a BA degree in Economics and a postgraduate diploma in Information Technology.

Joined Vensy in January 2006. Previously he was the Commercial Director of Quesos Forlasa, a leading producer of cheese in Spain, a position he held for three years. Prior to that he was General and Commercial Manager for Senoble Ibérica for seven years. He is board member of CECOPESCA, National Technical Center for Fishing Products Conservation. He graduated in 1989 from the University of Navarra with a degree in law. He obtained a Master’s degree in Stock Exchange and Financial Markets from the IEB in Madrid in 1991 and an MBA degree from IESE in 1994.

Joined Labeyrie in 2002 having previously been a General Manager with Pan Fish, France, for five years. He was manager of Labeyrie’s salmon production factory between 1991-1996. He has held several positions as Industrial and General Manager with various food companies and as chairman of the French union of smokers of trout and salmon (STF). He holds an MBA degree and a degree in agricultural engineering.

Joined Labeyrie in 1994 as R&D and Quality Manager. Appointed Industrial Manager in 2000 and subsequently appointed Group Food Safety Manager and in charge of sustainable development in 2006. Prior to that he was R&D and Food Safety Manager at Bordeau Chesnel from 1979 to 1991, then Industrial and Food Safety Manager with various duck food producers from 1991 to 1994.