After more than four years of chairing Women in Scottish Aquaculture, Teresa Garzon passes the baton to Matilda Lomas, Rhianna Rees and Ingrid Kelling, who will take on the role of co-chairs.

The leadership model of three co-chairs is a natural progression for the advisory group, given their extensive experience at working collaboratively with their host organisation to ensure WiSA continues to deliver positive impact for the aquaculture sector.

Dr Teresa Garzon, newly appointed Chief Sustainability Officer at SeaQure Farming Group and co-founder of award-winning start-up, TinyFish, will continue to be part of the WiSA advisory group, a notion that is welcomed by host Lantra, given the great potential her career experience will bring to advising future WiSA initiatives. 

Similarly, our new co-chairs will be a transformative powerhouse, hailing from salmon farming, seaweed sector development and academia.

Matilda Lomas, veterinary practice and cleaner fish manager at Bakkafrost Scotland, brings her first-hand experience of both living and working in a remote community where aquaculture is one of the main employers. Her passion for equity extends beyond the workplace and into programmes for developing young people, where she volunteers as a girl-guiding leader, empowering young women to step into leadership.

Rhianna Rees, business development manager and award-winning rising star in UK Aquaculture, is the driving force behind the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association, growing the Blue Economy by ensuring seaweed is always on the agenda and has a seat at tables where important conversations are taking place.

Dr Ingrid Kelling, Director of the Fair Food Hub and Assistant Professor at the University of Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh leads research on alternative economic and financial models to drive policies that will lead to fair, inclusive and sustainable economic development.