New management at Oceanspace Media
The Norwegian publisher owns specialist media in aquaculture, fisheries and shipping, including the UK-based website and magazine Fish Farming Expert. At the head office in Bergen, the company is strengthening its management with a new general manager and a new chief editor.
"This will be a boost for the company," says owner and outgoing chief editor and general manager, Gustav Erik Blaalid as he welcomes Pål Mugaas Jensen as new chief editor and Christian Lawley as new general manager for the Norwegian and UK part of the company. Blaalid himself continues as chairman and moves to the position of business developer.
Pål Mugaas Jensen has been employed by Norsk Fiskeopdrett (Norwegian Fish Farming) magazine since 1998. Since 2008 he has been editor of Norsk Fiskeopdrett and aquaculture website Kyst.no. For the past two years, he has taken care of one of Oceanspace Media's new ventures, LandbasedAQ, a magazine and website with a primary focus on land-based aquaculture production of both hatchery and food fish.
"This is going to be really exciting. To be given overall editorial responsibility for what are some of Norway's most important industries, both historically and in the future, is a task I approach with great enthusiasm," he says.
Although he will now be chief editor for all the Norwegian titles and Fish Farming Expert, he will still have operational editorial responsibility for LandbasedAQ for the time being as well. The role of Fish Farming Expert editor Gareth Moore won't change, and he retains responsibility for the content of the website and magazine.
The new general manager, Christian Lawley, has extensive experience in sales and marketing and joined the company in 2022 as sales manager for the Norsk Fiskeopdrett, Skipsrevyen (Ship Review) and Kystmagasinet (Coast magazine) brands. From May 2023, he will take over the role of daily manager for the business.
"It is with great pleasure and honour that I take over the baton from Gustav-Erik. We now have a unique starting point consisting of well-established brands and are convinced that with the professional expertise we have here in the organisation, Oceanspace will continue to grow in the years to come," says Lawley.
Company in development
With a focus on business development, Oceanspace Media has a growing division in Chile, the world's second largest producer of salmon after Norway. With SalmonExpert magazine and salmonexpert.cl website, Oceanspace Media's Chilean division has become the leading aquaculture media in the country in just over ten years.
"Last year we also invested in a new maritime magazine in Chile, Agenda Marìtima, and this year we are working on several other projects," says Blaalid. He adds that development is also carried out from the head office in Bergen.
"Kyst24Jobb and kyst24 are new websites that are being developed to become independent business areas, so a lot of exciting things are happening here," he says.
New premises
As a consequence of Ocenspace Media's growth in recent years, the need for more office space arose.
The result was that Damsgårsveien 40 was bought last year, and that the 16 employees in Bergen moved into the modern premises from the new year onwards.
