Mr. Robert Orr operates a specialized consulting company through which he spends most of his time as the CEO and Managing Partner of a Cuna del Mar LP, which is a private equity fund, based in the US. Cuna del Mar is concerned with global food security and maintaining the health of our oceans. In particular, the company specializes in making investments in environmentally sustainable aquaculture. The fund’s primary objective is to invest in transformational technologies and platforms capable of bringing about a paradigm shift in existing aquaculture practices. Cuna del Mar currently has investments in the US, Canada, Mexico and Panama.

Orr’s management career spans over 35 years at the senior management level in the private equity investment business, marine biotechnology, nutritional ingredient, food retailing, food wholesaling and retail advertising industries. His breadth of experience ranges from creation and management of several startup companies to responsibility for large multi-national corporate division operations with annual revenues in excess of $1 billion.

From 1996 to 2011, Orr was the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC) which was, for many years, the world’s largest ingredient supplier of Omega -3s, made from fish oil, to the Dietary Supplement and Functional Food Industry. During that time, Orr was responsible for the startup, financing and growth of ONC. By focusing its efforts on science based products, innovative marketing approaches and developing new technologies, ONC built a unique and profitable position in the nutrition sector. At one point ONC produced nine consecutive years of greater than 35 percent CAGR and grew from three employees to over 500, with customers in over 40 countries. Under Orr’s leadership ONC built a major R&D centre Halifax NS and manufacturing facilities in NS, Wisconsinand Peru. During his tenure, the company received numerous awards, both national and international, for its innovation and extraordinary rapid growth. In 2012, ONC was sold to the Dutch company, Royal DSM N.V., for $540 million.

Orr was also a co-founder of both the CRN Omega-3 Working Group (2001) and the Global Omega-3 Trade Association (GOED) (2006) and served as the inaugural chairperson of both organizations. These two organizations brought new self-regulating standards to the global omega-3 industry and significantly advanced the growth of the Omega-3 category.

Orr also serves on the following: Chair of the Board, Slanmhor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Vice Chair of the Board, ABK Biomedical, Chair, Board of Directors Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, Past- Board of Directors of Genome Canada, Past Board of Directors of Genome Atlantic, Board of Directors of Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust. (NSRIT), Advisory Board, Dalhousie University School of Business, Advisory Board, Cape Breton University, Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment.

In 2014, Orr was inducted into the Nutrition Industry, Hall of Legends, Contributions to Industry. Other awards include NBJ Life Time Achievement Award, Contributions to the Nutritional Industry (2010); in Business Personof the year by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce (2011); Nova Scotia Exporter of the Year (2006); Business of the Year by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce (2010.)