PORTLAND — The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative Thursday afternoon announced the appointment of Matt Jacobson as its new executive director.

Marianne LaCroix, who has served as acting executive director for the MLMC for the past two years, will remain on in a supporting role, according to a media release.

"The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is vital to promoting Maine's lobster industry to the world," said Gov. Paul R. LePage in the release. "Matt has a track record of accomplishment in business growth and development, and we look forward to his efforts to lead the Maine lobster industry into a new era of marketing and profitability."

The primary objective of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is to increase awareness and demand for whole live Maine lobster as well as value-added Maine lobster products. The MLMC supports that objective by promoting the core values of the Maine lobster industry.

"I'm tremendously excited and proud to support an industry and product that is so quintessentially Maine," said Jacobson in the release. "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 nonprofit business consulting and development organization. Between 2008 and 2009, Jacobson ran for governor, co-hosted the 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.

"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."

Jacobson was formally introduced to industry stakeholders for the first time at the Lobster Advisory Council's meeting July 16. His first official day on the job will be Monday, Aug. 18.