Five Minutes With… Willem Huisman

Co-founder of Anova Seafood, a top European supplier for both fresh and frozen tuna products, Willem Huisman has been CEO of the firm for little over a year, but having been one of the two brains that created the company, he is no stranger to doing business at the top. Grabbing five minutes with him at his company’s buzzing booth at the Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Atuna wanted to find out what makes the man behind Anova, a firm with daily distribution across 40 platforms in Europe, tick.

How did you get into the tuna business?

After having worked as an expatriate for an international food company from Nairobi, my partner and I started our business to export Lake Victoria Perch to the European market. We did that quite successfully for a while, but by the end of the 1990s we decided to expand, which is where tuna comes in as one of the first products to draw our interest. We started to develop this side of our business and really it became quite an interesting portfolio. But in the early 2000s, I started to realize that if we wanted to keep living on this planet the way we had been doing and eating tuna… Well the issue of sustainability came up.

We decided in 2003 that being a responsible seafood business had to be a pillar of our company. Soon tuna also became a real cornerstone of our trading, and still today I think it is a good place for further growth of our business.

Have you noticed any significant changes in the tuna industry during your time in the business?

At the end of the day, fish needs to taste good, that’s not going to change. Nowadays, fish needs to be good not only by taste, but also by heart- from a sustainability and quality perspective. Too much fish is going all the way around the world and back again before it ends up on our plates. At Anova, we think that it’s key that tuna and other fish reach the consumer in the best quality, for example when a fish is frozen almost immediately after it is caught. This way, the product is brought to the market via the shortest route possible and our customers can enjoy pure and premium quality products.

What’s the favorite part of your job?

I think my favorite part of my job is travelling around the world and discovering new opportunities to move the business in a different direction or finding an original new idea. This entrepreneurial spirit is definitely what makes me tick and I love to work with our team to make these opportunities a reality. And let’s not forget: I get to enjoy tasting tuna of course!

Do you have a motto or any tips for anyone working to be successful in the tuna business?

I think it’s very important to create business which can continue. In the seafood industry, it’s relatively easy to make a quick deal, but it’s what comes after that first deal that’s important. If you get into a business which can fully continue into the future, you will find much more satisfaction.