Finnbogi A. Baldvinsson
OWNER and MANAGING DIRECTOR
After 30 years in management positions across the seafood industry, Finnbogi started FAB Consulting in 2017
- Former CEO and part-owner of the German seafood companies, TST (value added processing), Pickenpack (value added processing), Hussmann & Hahn (primary and value-added processing) and DFFU (fishing operations)
- CEO of Icelandic Group from 2007 to 2011 and Icelandic Europe from 2005 – 2007 (key shareholder in Icelandic Group from 2005 – 2008)
- Icelandic Group was one of the 10 largest seafood companies in the world from 2005-2011 and was publicly listed on the Icelandic stock exchange from 1997 to 2008
- Icelandic Group had fish processing and trading operations in Germany (Pickenpack; €200m turnover), U.K. (Seachill; £150m turnover & Coldwater; £85m turnover), USA (Icelandic USA; US$ 200m turnover), Spain (Icelandic Iberica & Ecomsa; €60m turnover), Japan (Icelandic Japan US$100m turnover)
- 2000 – 2003 Acquired Hussmann & Hahn in 2000 and together with the German private Equity fund Orlando Management AG Hussmann & Hahn acquired Pickenpack in Lüneburg in 2003
- Led the internationalization of the Icelandic fishing company Samherji, from 1990s to 2003. Led the acquisition of DFFU, Deutsche Fischfang Union in Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1995. Started a partnership between Samherji and the Danish Seafood company, Royal Greenland in Greenland in early 1990s.
- Worked on Samherji’s expansion to Faroe Islands, Scotland, U.K., Germany and Poland. Key role in forming a partnership between Samherji and the Dutch seafood group Parlevliet & Van Der Plas B.V.
- Samherji H.F. is today one of the largest seafood companies in Europe, with over €500 million in annual sales. Finnbogi was one of three largest shareholders from 1990s to 2005
- 1990 – 1995 Managing Director of Soltunarfelag Dalvikur, a fish processing factory in Dalvik, Iceland
- 1989 – 1990 Managing Director of fish processing factory in Olafsfjordur, which was owned by the town of Olafsfjordur and was the largest employer in town
- Studied Fisheries Sciences in Tromso, Norway from 1983 – 1988. Deckhand for several years on different fishing vessels in Iceland prior to his studies and in Norway during his studies
Our Team
Cornelia Schmidt
Office Manager
- Since 2017, team assistant and office manager, FAB Consulting
- M.A. in Linguistics, with focus on French and English languages
- 12 years Executive Assistant, Pickenpack Germany
- 8 years administration and Assistant to Export Director, Pickenpack Germany
- After completion of her studies, Cornelia worked as a translator and interpreter in a variety of areas, such as technology, medicine, law and business, among others being assigned to foreign ministers and dignitaries visiting, working or representing their countries in Germany
Fjölnir Finnbogason
Finance & Operations
- Since 2018, Fjölnir has been a Consultant at FAB Consulting GmbH working on seafood related consulting projects in Germany, U.S., Norway, Iceland and the U.K.
- Fjölnir studied at Boston University and received a B.A. Cum Laude in Economics and International Relations in 2005.
- Deckhand on Icelandic freezing trawlers in Icelandic, Norwegian and Russian waters in summers of 2003 and 2004.
- 2011 – 2017 Managing Director of a new frozen fish value added processsing facility startup in Ihlow, county of Aurich, northwest Germany.
- In July 2016, Trident Seafoods, the largest seafood group in North America acquired the assets of TST and hired Fjölnir as one of two MDs for the newly founded Pickenpack Seafoods GmbH.
- Canada from 2006-2009. Landsbanki Canada
- 2006 – 2009 Research Analyst 1 year & 2 years credit analyst for Landsbanki, an Icelandic bank, in
- 2009 – 2010 Consulted for international seafood companies, such as in refinancing and M&A.
Aaron Knappe
Product & Process Design
- Since 2017, Consultant at FAB Consulting
- involved in diverse seafood projects in Germany Spain, Iceland, USA and Egypt
- 2016 Quality Manager at German Seafood Trading Company
- 2014 – 2015 Project Manager at Pickenpack Europe focused on preparing chilled seafood
- 2012 – 2014 Successful implementation of Energy Management System – ISO 50001 at Pickenpack Europe’s two factories in Germany, Pickenpack in Lüneburg and TST in Ihlow
- Aaron has experience with project management, food product development, environmental licences and implementation of energy and environmental management systems as well as their certification
- Aaron has a M.S. in Food Science from HAW Hamburg.
- Aaron holds German TÜV certificates as
- environmental management specialist
- environmental manager
- environmental auditor
- energy management manager
- energy management auditor