Don't miss the opportunity to participate in the largest aquaculture event in the Southern Hemisphere!
Don't miss the opportunity to participate in the largest aquaculture event in the Southern Hemisphere!
Explore the full list of experts who will take part in conferences, panels, and
event activities.
Ignacio Fernández Ruiz is the Director General of ProChile, with over 25 years of experience in the public sector and international economic relations. He holds a Law degree from the University of Chile and a Master’s in International Economic Policy from the University of Sheffield. He has held several positions within the Undersecretariat for International Economic Relations and ProChile, both in Chile and abroad.
Senior Health Scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he works on nutrition, food safety, and risk prioritization within the Human Foods Program. He has extensive experience in food policy, regulatory development, and cross-agency coordination.
He holds a degree in Microbiology from the University of Oslo (1989) and has built an extensive international career in aquatic animal health and aquaculture policy. He began his professional career as a scientist at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, focusing on fish health and disease prevention in aquaculture. He later served in several roles within the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture, including Head of the Animal Health Unit. He subsequently joined the European Commission (DG Health and Consumer Affairs), where he was responsible for developing the EU legislation on aquatic animal health. From 2017 to 2019 he chaired the FAO COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and, since 2020, he serves as Director General and Head of the Department of Aquaculture at the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
