The Fortuna Board
Stuart Barrett Wallace — Founder, Chairman of the Board
Stuart Barrett Wallace is the founder, shareholder and Chairman of Fortuna Ltd. Born in Stanley in 1954 and educated in the Falklands, he began his career locally before working with the British Antarctic Survey and Cable & Wireless, where he helped rebuild the Islands’ communications network following the 1982 conflict.
A former member of Legislative Council and Executive Council, Stuart has been active in economic development since the early years of the Falklands fishery, serving on the Falkland Islands Development Corporation board for eight years as the sector took shape from 1986 onward. At Fortuna—the first locally-owned company to fish Falklands waters post-1987—he has overseen sustained growth and reinvestment, helping build the Group into a major quota holder and operator, with associate interests including Consolidated Fisheries and Georgia Seafoods in the MSC certified toothfish fishery.
https://www.falklandsbiographies.org/biographies/wallace_stuart
James Wallace – Managing Director
James Wallace is the Managing Director of Fortuna Ltd, where he oversees group strategy, governance, business development, and international partnerships. Since taking the helm in 2019, James has led Fortuna’s expansion across the South Atlantic and Europe, including acquisitions that broaden the Group’s footprint in the UK and maritime services. Notable milestones during his tenure include the acquisition of Holyhead Towing Company Ltd in 2024 and Ocean Fish Group in 2025—moves that strengthened Fortuna’s capabilities in marine projects and vertically integrated seafood supply across UK retail, wholesale, and food service channels.
Based in Stanley, James also steers Fortuna’s long-term growth in new fisheries. In 2025, Fortuna secured the Tristan da Cunha lobster concession set to start in 2027, an investment aimed at improving service reliability, local income, and opportunities for island communities. James spent a month on Tristan engaging with the Island Council and fisheries stakeholders to prepare for the concession’s rollout.
A Falkland Islands (British) and Dutch national, James holds an MBA and a BA (Hons) in International Business Administration University. He is PRINCE2 certified, and completed the Lloyd’s Maritime Academy Diploma in Ship Management and executive training in Bargaining & Negotiation at the London School of Economics.
Paul Freer — Board Member
Paul Freer joined Fortuna Ltd in 1994 as an Accountant and was appointed Finance Director in 2008. Over three decades, he led the finance function across the expanding Fortuna Group, progressing from responsibility for two local companies to directing a finance department of eight and overseeing financial operations for more than 40 companies, including several overseas entities.
Having retired in December 2025, Paul continues to bring a long-standing depth of financial expertise and continuity as a Non-Executive Director on Fortuna’s Board.
Senior Leadership Team:
Barry Rowland – Strategic Advisor
Barry Rowland joined Fortuna Ltd in June 2022 as Strategic Advisor to the Board, working closely with the Managing Director and senior leadership on internal business improvement and the wider development and growth of the Fortuna Group. Educated at New College Durham and Durham University Business School, he brings over 30 years’ senior public-sector leadership experience across regional, national and international contexts. He is an Honorary Fellow of Newcastle University.
Barry served five years as Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands Government (2016–2021) and previously led Newcastle City Council as Chief Executive. His career includes extensive organizational, economic and policy development work, delivered through public–private partnerships, and service on numerous boards as a non-executive director. He currently sits on several Fortuna subsidiary-company boards, including as Chairman of Holyhead Towing Company and Ocean Fish Group.
Darren Christie – General Manager
Darren Christie is an experienced strategic communicator with over 20 years of Falkland Islands–related professional experience spanning government, industry, diplomacy, environmental management and public policy. He joined Fortuna Ltd as General Manager in May 2024, where he supports the Managing Director in the overall running of the business and leads all non-fishing aspects of the organisation, including stakeholder relationships, human resources, communications, organisational performance and business development.
His career has consistently centred on strategic engagement, policy development, relationship building and delivering outcomes in sensitive environments. Prior to joining Fortuna, Darren worked as an Independent Consultant providing strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, media liaison and project management services to local and international clients. His consultancy work included major assignments for the Falkland Islands Government, such as developing internal communication strategies, supporting cross-government media management, delivering COVID19 emergency communications, managing special projects for the Chief Executive, and contributing to the 35th and 40th anniversary commemorations. He also undertook community focused research, strategic planning for NGOs, and project management in the marine and shipping sectors.
Earlier in his career, Darren held senior roles with Noble Energy Inc., including Senior External Affairs & Communications Manager and later Acting Country Manager for the Falkland Islands, representing the company in the UK, US and internationally, managing geopolitical and reputational risk and facilitating local operations through an exploration drilling campaign.
He holds BSc (First Class Honours) in Zoology and Ecology, along with professional qualifications in communications, crisis management, and oil spill response.
John Barton MBE — Director of Fishing Operations
John Barton MBE is a leading figure in Falkland Islands fisheries management, with a career spanning more than four decades across government, conservation, and the private sector. He joined Fortuna Ltd and Atlantic Catch Ltd in 2022, where he now serves as Director of Fishing Operations, overseeing Illex squid operations, ensuring regulatory compliance across Falkland Islands and international standards, and maintaining high levels of crew welfare and operational performance.
A specialist in sustainable fisheries management, John previously spent 30 years within the Falkland Islands Government, first as Senior Fishery Scientist from 1986, then Director of Fisheries from 1989, and finally Director of Natural Resources (Fisheries & Agriculture) from 2009 to 2019. During this period, he led the development of responsible fisheries policy, oversaw the stability and growth of major commercial fisheries, supported the establishment of the Individual Transferable Quota system, and represented the Falklands in bilateral conservation talks with Argentina. He also played a key role in strengthening fishery protection efforts that greatly reduced illegal fishing.
John began his fisheries career in the early 1980s, conducting surveys of inshore resources around the Falkland Islands, before joining the newly formed Fisheries Department as part of the post1986 Conservation Zone management framework. He holds a BSc (Joint Hons) in Marine Biology and Oceanography from the University College of North Wales, Bangor.
In addition to his operational role at Fortuna, John serves as Chair of the Falkland Islands Fishing Companies Association (FIFCA), elected in 2025, where he represents industry interests and advocates for sustainable, sciencebased fisheries management across the region.
Tafari Bryan – Financial and Commercial Director
Tafari Bryan is an ACA Chartered Accountant with a MORSE degree (Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics) from the University of Warwick. He brings over two decades of crosssector experience spanning investment management, Thomson Reuters, and Babcock International Group before moving into retail leadership at The Range in 2023. At The Range’s parent (CDS Superstores), Tafari led finance teams of 30+ and supported landmark transactions, including the acquisition of the Wilko brand and digital assets in 2023 and the subsequent acquisition of Homebase’s brand, IP and up to 70 UK stores in 2024.
At Fortuna, Tafari oversees financial strategy and commercial decisionmaking—driving performance governance, capital allocation, and M&A execution—while mentoring a growing finance team to deliver scalable finance operations and actionable insight for growth.