Advancing Industry Leadership Through Collaboration: A Sea Pact Perspective on Board Service and Industry Leadership
By Charles Young, Euclid Fish Company, Finance Chair to the Sea Pact Member Board.
In early 2025, I had the privilege of participating in the inaugural class of the National Fisheries Institute’s Board Leadership Development Program (NFI Board Program). The program itself was a meaningful experience that I benefited from greatly, including reinforcing the power and purpose of serving on the Sea Pact member board. My participation in both the NFI Board Program and Sea Pact member board continues to shape my professional growth, Euclid Fish’s strategic direction, and my connection to the broader seafood industry. Sea Pact isn’t just a collaboration of like-minded seafood companies; it’s a unique platform where industry leadership, sustainability, and shared responsibility converge. Holding a seat on the Sea Pact member board provides an opportunity to engage with leaders from other member companies, with Sea Pact serving as a platform to share our own approaches and learnings when it comes to tackling sustainability challenges. Together, we work to advance our collective mission to drive stewardship and continuous improvement of social, economic, and environmental responsibility throughout the global seafood supply chain.
Participating in the NFI Board program alongside fellow Sea Pact member, Stacy Schultz of Fortune Fish & Gourmet, helped to demonstrate the value of Sea Pact engagement. Stacy brought insights from her deep experience in sustainability and prior leadership as Sea Pact’s Chairwoman. Her perspective, and the work we’ve done together through Sea Pact, demonstrated the underlying leadership development themes that are embedded in Sea Pact’s collaboration. The NFI Board Program itself was led by one of Sea Pact’s original co-founders, Derek Figueroa, and focused on essential board skills, governance, and values-driven leadership which complemented the core competencies we bring to life every day within Sea Pact. Through Sea Pact’s working groups, strategic planning efforts, and collaboration, Sea Pact board members gain real-world leadership experience that goes far beyond traditional board service.
What struck me most through this journey was the alignment between the principles discussed in the NFI Board Program and the work we do through Sea Pact. Whether we’re exploring supply chain engagement, investing in sustainability efforts, or sharing innovative approaches to traceability, Sea Pact board participation challenges and equips members to be leaders on important sustainability issues. Further, advocating for healthy, accessible, and honest seafood is something that resonates deeply with Euclid Fish and myself.
Personally, this experience with the NFI Board Program reinforced how much I’ve gained through my service on the Sea Pact member board. Sea Pact is more than a collaboration and the organization serves as a sustainability leadership hub for the seafood industry. It connects companies, supports capacity building around sustainability, and encourages us to think beyond the day-to-day business operations about what our industry can be when at its best.
As Sea Pact continues to grow, now 11 members strong in 2025, we are always looking for forward-thinking companies that want to lead, collaborate, and drive positive change. If your business shares our commitment to responsible sourcing, continuous improvement, and long-term industry sustainability, we invite you to join Sea Pact and help shape the future of sustainable seafood. Please do contact us anytime!