After seven years as President of the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC), it was abruptly announced that Paul Lansbergen has left the organization.
“I am writing to inform you that after more than seven years of dedicated service, the Board and Paul Lansbergen have agreed it was time to part ways,” wrote David Lomas, FCC Chair.
“As President of the Fisheries Council of Canada, Paul has been a committed advocate for our industry, and we are grateful for his many contributions during his time with us.”
Lansbergen originally joined the FCC near the end of 2017, where he came to the organization after 15 years with the Forest Products Association of Canada, including a yearlong stint as acting President.
According to David Martinek, Public Affairs Manager for the FCC, Lansbergen’s departure came as a result of “thoughtful discussions” wherein the FCC decided to take a “new direction to support the evolving needs of the sector.”
“We reached an agreement with Paul to part ways. There was no single reason,” wrote Martinek. “It was arrived at following a reflection on the changing landscape of the industry and the future goals of the organization. We are committed to the long-term success of FCC and its leadership.”
Lansbergen’s sudden leave comes a couple weeks shy of the FCC’s annual conference at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Ontario from October 2–3. According to Martinek, not much will change for attendees of the event despite the shakeup in leadership.
FCC’s operations remain strong. We have a dedicated and hard-working team in place, and while leadership transitions can be challenging, our focus on serving the industry and our members remains unwavering,” wrote Martinek.
“Appropriately, the theme this year is ‘Navigating Tides: Succeeding in an Ever-Changing World.’ We have put together a great conference that will focus on the opportunities ahead of us.”
Speaking of future opportunities, Martinek did not clarify whether the FCC will be hiring their next president internally or externally. Until a replacement is found, the duties of President will be handled by FCC’s internal team with assistance from the organization’s board members when needed.
“We are conducting a thoughtful and thorough search for the next leader who will build on Paul’s successes and steer the organization into its next chapter,” wrote Martinek.
“In the meantime, our team is fully focused on continuing our work without interruption. First things first, we’re focused on delivering an exceptional Annual Conference on October 2–3.”
