The Center for Aquaculture Technologies welcomes François Brenta as Vice President of Health and Nutrition and Klara Verbyla as Director of Breeding and Genomics and Associate Vice President of Genetics to accelerate strategic growth and expand the global footprint.
“I am excited to welcome Francois and Klara to our team. Francois brings world-class operational skills and a truly global perspective to our operations in PEI, and Klara – a world-renowned expert in genomics and breeding in agriculture – brings extraordinary expertise to our company,” said John Buchanan, President and CEO.
A seasoned aquaculture professional, François Brenta has nearly three decades of aquaculture industry experience in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, managing commercial aquaculture ventures with a focus on operational efficiency, production, biosecurity, and consulting for private and government entities. He has established a record of strong leadership and has managed large and diverse teams to great success. He is a proven manager who supports and gets the best out of his team. His skills in organizing large projects will be particularly timely as CAT is undergoing a significant expansion of both teams and facilities in PEI.
Dr. Klara Verbyla brings over a decade of experience in designing and delivering innovative research in genomics, statistical/quantitative genetics, and applied breeding, with expertise in the application of new technologies for the genetic improvement of species. A graduate of The University of Melbourne, Klara was the recipient of a European Union Marie Curie Early Career Fellowship. She played a pivotal role in the successful commercial implementation of genomic selection for the Tasmanian Atlantic salmon industry and was the genomics expert on the Salmon Applied Breeding team that won the prestigious CSIRO Chairman’s medal for Science Excellence in 2019.
