New CEO to lead fisheries agency

Richard Judge, CEO A new Chief Executive has been appointed to lead the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas). Dr Richard Judge takes over today, Monday 5 March 2007.

Richard Judge was formerly a Group Director with AEA Environment, responsible for a division that delivered a diverse portfolio of environmental consultancy, high-value technical services and IT products to the public sector and industry. He brings wide-ranging leadership and business transformation experience, gained in market-leading science and engineering businesses in the UK and internationally.

Richard is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Richard Judge says: “I am looking forward to leading and developing Cefas, particularly at this stage of its transformation. The commitment from Defra for our transformational programme and for the development of new fit-for-purpose laboratory facilities means that there is a bright future ahead for the agency. The organisation has grown significantly in recent years and its strong international scientific reputation provides a great opportunity for further success. I’m delighted to be taking the reins at this exciting stage.”

Notes for editors

Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK. It is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). For more detail see www.cefas.co.uk/.
Defra’s Laboratory Strategy concluded that Cefas was one of Defra’s key public-sector partners, and that a new laboratory complex would enable Cefas to stay at the forefront of marine research and help to secure a sustainable future for the agency. Ministerial statement.
Richard Judge takes over from Mark Farrar, who became Cefas’ CEO in summer 2004. Mark takes up a post at CIBT-ConstructionSkills.
Photographs of Richard Judge and the Cefas Lowestoft laboratory are available on request.

Press contact:
Anne McClarnon, Communications Manager
Tel: 01502 52 4370 / Email: anne.mcclarnon@cefas.co.uk