PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative has appointed Matt Jacobson as its new executive director.
The primary objective of the collaborative is to increase awareness and demand for whole live Maine lobster as well as value-added Maine lobster products. The organization supports that objective by promoting the core values of the Maine lobster industry, which is sustainable and deeply rooted in tradition.
“I’m tremendously excited and proud to support an industry and product that is so quintessentially Maine,” said Jacobson. “I’ve loved Maine lobster all my life and now I have the privilege of working directly with the remarkable men and women who sustainably harvest this iconic Maine food. It will be an honor to share my enthusiasm for Maine lobster with the world.”
Jacobson brings to his new position more than 20 years in sales, marketing and senior leadership positions, most notably in connection to business and economic development in Maine. From 2006 to 2011, Jacobson served as president and CEO of Maine & Company, a non-profit business consulting and development organization. Under Jacobson’s leadership, Maine & Company was able to attract companies to Maine that employ over 5,000 people across the state. Between 2008 and 2009, Jacobson also ran for Governor, co-hosted Jacobson & Katz: Inside Maine Business television show and wrote a guest column for MaineBiz magazine.
From 2000 to 2005, Jacobson built the Canadian National Railway’s intermodal business into a $1 billion a year enterprise. Previously, as president and COO of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad, Jacobson lead a 300 percent increase in revenue growth in 3 years.
“Matt is an outstanding selection for executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative,” said Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources and a board member.
“His successes in business leadership, international relations, and marketing make him a perfect fit for this important position. This industry needs someone who can think critically, build consensus, and take initiative to set and accomplish new and ambitious goals. Matt definitely brings those accomplishments to the table. He also has a strong background in marketing Maine to the world, which will be critically important since Maine and lobster are so closely connected in people’s minds.”
Marianne LaCroix, who has served as acting executive director for the collaborative for the past two years, will remain on in a supporting role.
