Charles Perez

VP of Corporate Development & Legal Affairs

Mara Renewables

Plus Level Candidate

Tell us about yourself and your experience in the omega-3 industry.

I have spent 18 exciting years working with great people – colleagues and competitors alike – growing businesses in the omega-3 industry. My work has covered product management, product development, corporate development, investor relations and legal affairs, with companies ranging from global multinationals to start-ups. I have also led or supported regulatory affairs, supply chain and operations, and previously had the privilege of serving on GOED’s board through prior companies. That experience has given me a deep understanding of both fish and microalgal oils across the full value chain, from crude oil manufacturing through to the marketing of finished products to consumers for dietary supplements, foods/beverages, infant nutrition as well as pharmaceutical products.

Why are you running for the Board of Directors?

I am running because I believe in this industry and in what GOED can and does do for it. With the right science, standards and advocacy, we can build more trust, open more markets and help more people and animals benefit from Omega-3s. They are remarkable molecules and we need to realize their full potential which goes well beyond EPA and DHA and their use in facilitating cardiovascular health and infant nutrition.

At the same time, there is also very practical work which still needs to be done: strengthening supply chains and promoting standardization, supporting smart regulations around the world, raising the bar on sustainability, encouraging responsible new sources of omega-3s, and cutting through consumer confusion and misinformation. I would like to help GOED tackle those issues in ways that are practical, credible and useful to Plus members.

What experience, perspective or expertise would you bring to the Board and to the members you would represent?

I would bring a practical, hands-on, no nonsense perspective to the Board. I understand the omega-3 value chain from supply and product development to regulation, commercial strategy and corporate development. I also bring legal and regulatory judgment that can help GOED deal with policy questions, member concerns and external stakeholders in a constructive way. Most importantly, I would bring the perspective of a small but rapidly evolving Plus member to help direct GOED’s focus on work that helps responsible companies compete, grow and strengthen the category.

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