Salt Lake City, UT- The future of the omega-3 industry will be defined by how it communicates with consumers, and how it leverages science to remain credible.

“I don’t think either of those things are things we’ve done to our fullest potential,” Adam Ismail, outgoing executive director of GOED, says in a 10-minute farewell video that explains why he is leaving after 11 years.

Ellen Schutt, VP of communications and education, is acting as interim executive director while the board reflects on GOED’s future mission and goals and ensures that the organization's future leadership is best suited to execute its mission.

In a throwback to Mr. Rogers’ closing episodes, Ismail swapped his jacket and dress shoes for a cardigan and sneakers and called for everyone to work together to achieve the organization’s goal to “increase consumption of omega-3’s in the general population, in sick populations, and in special populations that actually need more omega-3s.”

Ismail debunked myths that GOED was just focused on supplements, or ingredients, or on the U.S., and instead said the industry needs to work on many different sectors of the value chain, because “at the end of the day, if one of the industries is thriving, then they’re all going to be thriving.  If the pharmaceutical industry is doing well, then the nutrition industry is doing well. If the infant formula space is thriving, then the functional food industry will be growing as well.”

Four huge clinical trials, he noted, will generate a lot of media attention and volatility this year. They are theVital study, theReduce It study, theStrength studyand theAscend study.  “They are going to generate so many headlines and inform so many different clinical process guidelines on recommended intake recommendations that I think the organization needs some fresh perspective.” He added that most organizations don’t let their senior managers stay longer than seven years because there is benefit in having new blood.

Ismail also advised GOED’s current members to contribute more, and suggested that a dropoff in participation and dues could also be signals that a new leader was necessary.

He didn’t say where he would be working next, only that he would be staying in the industry.

“We have a long way to go before this industry has reached its objectives of making sure the entire global population has had sufficient omega-3 intakes, and has reached sufficient omega-3 status.”

“The board is extremely optimistic about GOED’s future and fully supports the team that is in place," said GOED chiarman Tom Feeley of DSM. "Appointing an interim director allows us to reflect on GOED’s future mission and strategic goals and ensure that the future leadership of the organization is best structured and resourced to execute on this mission.” The board has set up a Strategic Task Force to facilitate this process and hopes to complete its strategic planning by mid-2018."