Since last autumn, Benchmark has merged its commercial forces for genetics and health into one joint team. The team is currently headed by Geir Olav Melingen, Commercial Director for Salmon, who will become Head of Benchmark Genetics from the 1st of June. In this interview, he speaks about his role in uniting Benchmark’s Atlantic salmon product portfolio and his priorities for the year ahead.

“You have worked in many specialisms over the years; how has this experience shaped your approach to work?”

From a young age, I always wanted to be a veterinarian for fish (even though this job didn’t technically exist yet!). I started working at my father’s salmon farm during the weekends and holidays when I was around 10, and aside from a brief stint in Officer School for the Navy, I’ve been working in the industry ever since.

I’ve worked in almost every aspect of the aquaculture world, from academia to teaching and journalism. Each of these roles equipped me with valuable tools which I continue to use today. The learning never stops, though, and I gain new knowledge every time I visit a customer’s site.

“What makes the One Benchmark approach unique?”

The One Benchmark approach for salmon is the amalgamation of Genetics and Animal Health, to support our customers with strong tools for successful production. We are uniquely positioned to work with customers from the very beginning of production and then carry this relationship forward throughout the production cycle.

With Genetics, we carry out a lot of precision work to ensure high quality salmon eggs, taking into account growth, late maturation and quality, alongside an increase in focus on disease traits.

Animal Health works with the same focus of creating a high performing product for our customers through vaccine development and sea lice treatments. Both aspects of the business work in tandem, bringing solutions to fish farmers to improve farming efficiency, animal health and welfare, and ultimately profit.

“In what ways have the combined Health and Genetics teams benefited Benchmark customers?”

We have invested in getting to know our customers and learning their business to deliver the best possible solutions. Our customers pass on feedback about how much they value working with the Benchmark team, which is something we take great pride in. Our mantra is, ‘we don’t succeed unless our customers succeed.’

One main benefit for customers is that the same people are involved in all areas of decision-making, bringing their specialised skills to the table and taking the wider picture into account. This also brings benefits in terms of profitability and goes hand in hand with sustainability. By optimising production from the outset, we create the best base to improve efficiencies and survivability. Our Animal Health portfolio of tools is among the best in the industry, with the Ectosan^® Vet and CleanTreat^® solution setting a new standard of sea lice treatment concerning the efficacy, animal welfare and sustainability.

“What are the success factors of optimised operations?”

Building relationships by understanding and communicating with our customers in a way they understand, both in terms of the language they speak and in an accessible manner. We always work to find the best solution for both parties, and our customers trust us to supply this tailored support. It’s about being innovative, collaborative and passionate – traits found in large quantities within the Benchmark team.

“What are some of your immediate plans and goals for the year ahead? What are you excited about?”

As Commercial Director, my main goal will be building upon the commercial success of Benchmark. We have supplied salmon eggs to every corner of the globe across 36 countries. I’m excited about the continued growth of our portfolio, serving each of our customers with equal levels of diligence and respect.

The commercial team play a huge part in this goal, so maintaining a strong team is one of my main priorities this year. Each team member brings a wealth of specialised knowledge and has an important role to play.  

Of course, it also goes without saying that Manchester United qualifying for the Champions League is also a big priority for the year!