Bord Bia's Global Food Summit

Jim recently retired as CEO of Tirlán Co-operative Ltd., a world-class food and nutrition business, with sales revenue of over €2.5 billion in 2023. Tirlán’s portfolio includes many of Ireland’s best known and most loved Irish brands, such as Avonmore. A graduate of UCC, Jim held several senior management positions after joining Glanbia in 1984, including Group IT Manager and Group Business Process director. In 2005 he was appointed CEO of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland. In 2012 he became CEO and executive director of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd., a joint venture company between Glanbia PLC and Glanbia Co-op. In 2021, Jim guided Glanbia Co-op to assume full control of the Glanbia Ireland dairy and grains business and it unveiled a new identity, Tirlán.

Jack is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dew Valley Foods. Established in 1992 in Co. Tipperary, Dew Valley Foods manufactures cooked bacon using American technology, and has grown to be the largest cooked bacon manufacturer in Europe, employing 550 people.

Niall is the Chief Executive Officer of Dawn Meats, appointed in 2007 at the age of 34. An alumnus of the University of Limerick, he joined the Dawn Meats Graduate Management Programme in 1995. Progressing through the organisation he gained a broad experience across multiple sites. Niall and his team have spearheaded the development of the Group through mergers and acquisitions. In 2017 Dawn Meats merged its UK business with Dunbia becoming Britain’s largest beef and lamb processor and in 2020 acquired full ownership. Under his leadership the business continues to expand and is a recognised industry leader. He is passionate about innovation and champions environmental sustainability and efficient processing.

Kevin is currently the Managing Director of ABP’s Irish and Polish Operations having joined the group in 2021. ABP is one of Europe’s leading agri-business companies with manufacturing plants across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. The company also operates sustainable renewables, pet food and protein divisions. Kevin has worked in the Agri sector since graduating UCC in 1991, including a recent five-year stint internationally as Head of a Global Food company's European division. Kevin is a keen GAA enthusiast who enjoyed a successful playing career and now indulges in coaching at club level.

Soopakij is the Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited (CP Group), one of Asia's leading conglomerates consisting of over 100 companies operating in 21 countries across eight business lines including agro-industry and food, retail and distribution, media and telecommunications, e-commerce and digital, property development, automotive and industrial product, pharmaceuticals, and finance and investment. He is a recognized business leader in the region and serves chairmanship and directorship in several subsidiaries of the company, as well as directorship in reputable international public conglomerate. Soopakij has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of Business and Public Administration of New York University, USA.

Nick is currently Director of the Global Strategic Insight Division at Bord Bia and a member of the organisation’s executive leadership team. In a career spanning over 30 years in the food industry he has held leadership roles across Innovation, Marketing, Manufacturing and Technical Operations, and Change Management with blue chip organisations including Diageo and The Coca-Cola Company. In his current role Nick leads the delivery of highly valued Insight, Marketing, Innovation and Capability services for the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry. It is an expansive brief that seeks to create the conditions for the future success of our industry through global insight and thought leadership studies.

Gerry is the Co-Founder, Director, and Chief Operating Officer at Powerscourt Distillery. With a decade of whiskey industry experience and eight years at Accenture in project management and financial services UKI, Gerry holds a BComm from the Quinn School of Business. Gerry is the Chairman of the Tourism Committee for the Irish Whiskey Association – IBEC and of the Sustainability Committee for Wicklow Naturally. Born and raised in Enniskerry, Ireland, Gerry returned in 2014 with an entrepreneurial spirit to transform his childhood playground, the Old Mill House on the Powerscourt Estate, into a world-class distillery. His mission is to craft premium Irish whisky while championing local food producers and fostering sustainable rural development.

Bryan is CEO of Subway franchisee-owned supply chain business, IPC EMEA. He joined in 2003, when there were just over 200 Subway stores in Europe. Bryan has led and developed the business, building supply chains, developing the supplier base, and ultimately playing a key role in facilitating the growth of the Subway brand in Europe. Today there are over 6,000 stores in the region. In 2023, IPC Europe expanded its geographic coverage from Europe to EMEA, and by the end of 2024 will further expand to support franchisees in all markets (c100) outside of North America, across a total of 13,000 stores. Bryan has 35 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry, holding senior positions within Sainsbury’s, Whitbread and PwC Consulting.

Thomas is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kerry Europe, since joining in 2021. He is responsible for driving their Taste and Nutrition strategy and growing business in the markets and channels across Ireland, the U.K. and Mainland Europe. Thomas brings a passion for placing the customer at the heart of everything the organisation does – inspiring, challenging and motivating his teams to perform at their very best. He brings over 20 years of food industry commercial leadership experience and industry knowledge.

Shane is Bord Bia’s Director of Global Business Development, managing a global team across 15 geographies that aims to grow the value of Irish food and drinks exports. Previously, Shane was Bord Bia’s Strategic Projects Manager, leading key programmes, including the State Agency’s response to Brexit and Covid-19. Prior to this he worked as an agribusiness consultant for the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome and at Landmark Public Affairs, a Brussels-based firm where he advised leading food and drink multinationals on EU policy and regulation.

Michael was appointed as Chief Executive of Dairygold in 2024, one of Ireland’s largest Dairy Co-Operatives, with its headquarters located in Mitchelstown, County Cork, generating c. €1.5 Billion in turnover per annum. A Fellow Chartered Management Accountant, Michael has worked in Dairygold for 35 years and was Chief Financial Officer of Dairygold since 2006, until his appointment as Chief Executive. Michael is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the business, including delivering strong financial results and maximising Shareholder Members’ incomes.

Peter is the CEO of Sysco Europe, responsible for 15,000 colleagues servicing more than 110,000 customers from 115 distribution facilities across France, Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden. Appointed as CEO for Europe in September 2023, Peter was previously CEO for Sysco GB since January 2022 and CEO for Sysco Ireland, from 2018. He has over 26 years’ experience in the food industry. He held several senior positions at the Aryzta Group including Managing Director Aryzta Food Solutions Europe and Managing Director Aryzta Ireland. Additionally, Peter held the roles of Finance Director and then CEO of the Convenience Foods division during his 12-year service at Kepak Group. Peter holds a B.B.S. from Dublin City University and is a member of CIMA.

Patrick is Divisional Board Member of the Purchasing department at Lidl International. Based in Germany, he is responsible for the Fresh and Frozen Categories, including Bakery and Fruit and Veg. His global remit means that together with his team, he sources for all 32 Lidl countries and supports national suppliers to become Lidl international suppliers, delivering profit for them as Lidl expands in Europe and the USA. Patrick strives to create impact through driving innovation and making Lidl the number one choice for suppliers and partners in food retail. He joined Lidl in 2010 and since then has held responsibility for categories such as dairy, cheese, meat and poultry, processed meat and nuts and dried fruits, for both Private Label and Branded Products.

Caroline is the CEO of Keelings, a 100% Irish-owned family business which started producing fruits and salads on their farm in the 1930’s supplying produce to local Dublin markets. Keelings is headquartered in FoodCentral, Co. Dublin, Ireland but has operations in Ireland, in the UK, Europe and Asia. Keelings employs over 2,000 people. Caroline has a BSc (Chem) and MSc in Food Science which she obtained from University College Dublin (UCD). Caroline is an Ambassador for The Women’s Fund for Ireland, a Bord Bia Board Member, Chair of the Horticulture Board of Bord Bia, Chair of Dublin Action Plan for Jobs Implementation Committee, Board Member of the Ifrah Foundation and a member of the Export Trade Council.

Catherine is Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Kerry Group, responsible for Public Affairs, Government and NGO relations, Sustainability, and Communications. Joining in 2016 as Vice-President Strategic Marketing and Business Planning, she brought a proven track record in strategic global marketing leadership, corporate communications, B2B brand building and innovative business growth strategies, having held leadership roles in the US, Canada, France, Germany and Ireland. Catherine is a graduate of Dublin City University and the University of Cologne, holds an MBA from Smurfit Business School, and is a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, and the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA).

David has been President, Kellanova Europe, since July 2018 and is a member of Kellanova’s Executive Committee. He joined Kellogg as a Sales Manager in 1991, in its Dublin office. David then held several senior roles, including running the company’s Middle Eastern business, setting up its Dubai office and helping to launch its joint venture in Turkey with domestic food company Ulker. He then served as General Manager of Kellogg Russia for nearly eight years, Managing Director of UK and ROI in 2016 and then Vice President, European Cereal. David holds a degree in Politics and History from University College Dublin and has attended programs at Thunderbird School of Global Management and Harvard Business School. He is also a board member of FDE and AIM.

Seth serves as Senior Vice President, Food, Walmart Sourcing for Walmart. Seth joined the company in 2006 as an intern on the seasonal candy team. After earning his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from John Brown University, he returned to Walmart Merchandising and held various buying positions throughout the food organization including Frozen Food and Beverages. Seth’s entire life has revolved around food not just as a passion during his career, but as a way of life. Growing up on a farm in Bentonville, his family raised blueberries and showed beef cattle. As a member of the local 4-H Club, Seth served as the 2003 National Beef Ambassador traveling the country to teach youth about the importance of nutrition.

Francis Mallon is the CEO of Liffey Meats; his family have been involved in the meat processing industry since 1905. Francis is passionate about sustainability, climate action and the environment which is championed throughout the processing stages at Liffey Meats. Liffey Meats strives to ensure the highest quality and sustainably sourced beef is produced for our customers throughout Ireland and Europe.

Sujarit is currently President of CPFGS, a leading global food solutions provider of the CPF Group. He has been with CPF Group since 2010. During his time with the group he oversees different businesses ranging from dairy, food retailer, and food trading. Prior to joining the group, he spent close to 15 years in business consulting with deep involvement in finance and strategy.

Bryan is the owner of the Park Hotel in Kenmare & Dromgarriff Rainforest in Glengarriff. Bryan is the former CEO and Chair of Blue Bottle Coffee in California. He was co-founder of Fresh & Wild in London (now Whole Foods) and Nude Skincare. Bryan is now focused on mentoring entrepreneurs and working on sustainability projects primarily in consumer, agriculture and packaging. He sits on the global sustainability board at Nestle in Switzerland and is a mentor with Endeavor Ireland. Bryan is Board Member of the Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco and lives in Marin with his wife Tara.

Robin is the Chief Executive Officer of Compass Group UK and Ireland. He was appointed to the role in November 2019 after being with Compass for over 15 years. Robin previously held the position of Group Chief People Officer across the business and prior to this role he successfully headed up the UK’s education division. Prior to joining Compass, Robin held various employee relations, organisational development and talent roles in Diageo and Kingfisher. Recognising the significant impact food has on the environment, operating sustainably and looking at innovative ways to reduce carbon now underpins everything that Compass does.

John is President and Chief Financial Officer of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). He oversees Finance and Strategy; Platform Services; Digital Transformation; Customer and Commercial Leadership; and Global Ventures. Since joining the company in 1988, Mr. Murphy has held a variety of management, finance, and strategic planning roles across the globe. He also serves on the boards of Mexico-based Coca-Cola FEMSA, the world's largest bottler by sales volume; The Coca-Cola Foundation, TCCC's primary philanthropic arm; and Engage, a collaborative innovation and corporate venture platform that supports startups. Mr. Murphy is also on the board of trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center.

Ken is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Tesco PLC since joining in October 2020. He is a growth-orientated business leader with strong commercial, marketing and brand experience within retail and wholesale businesses. He has experience in global product brand management, product development, sales and marketing, sourcing, manufacturing and distribution. Prior to joining Tesco, Ken worked for Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc for over 20 years in several senior management roles across the business. Through his roles as executive vice president, chief commercial officer and president of global brands, Ken had overall responsibility for brand strategy and the commercial offer in the retail businesses of Walgreens and Boots.

John is the Director of Meat, Food and Beverage Sectors with Bord Bia. Within his role he has responsibility for client engagement and driving sector strategic plans, which includes optimising growth supports and services. He joined from Kerry Group where he held senior roles in commercial and strategy development across the European business. Prior to this, John worked in specialist dairy commercial roles with Ornua in both the UK and Ireland. He also has experience in retail procurement in the protein sector and, working in agri-food public communications with an Irish non for profit. He is a University College Dublin Agricultural Science graduate, and hails from (west) Waterford originally.

Larry is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Dawn Farms. He co-founded it in 1985 with the Queally family, establishing it as a global leader in cooked and fermented protein ingredients. With operations located in Ireland, the UK, and Germany, it partners with leading QSR brands and major food manufacturers in over 60 markets, recognised for its leadership in food safety and quality, culinary science and innovation. His deep expertise in the food sector is based on a relationship approach and a customer first culture. As Chair of Bord Bia, Larry promotes Irish food globally and is passionate about the Irish food and drink industry and its future global prospects. Larry also chairs his family business, With Taste, a premier catering and hospitality resource.

Anne joined Meta in September 2022 as the Vice President of Mid-Market Global Business Group in EMEA. In May 2023, Anne was appointed Head of Meta Ireland to oversee the community and culture across three locations; Meta’s HQ in Ballsbridge Dublin, Clonee Data Centre in Meath and Reality Labs in Cork. Anne is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, a commitment mirrored in Meta's workforce in Ireland, which comprises 80 teams representing over 110 nationalities. In her day-to-day capacity, Anne collaborates closely with business leaders across the EMEA region, empowering them to harness the potential of Meta's apps to expand their reach and engage new customers.

Jim was appointed CEO of Bord Bia, The Irish Food Board, in November 2022. Previously, he held the role of Chief Executive Officer, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency from 2017 to 2022. Prior to this, Jim held several senior positions in Bord Bia, including spearheading the development of Origin Green, the worlds’ only national food and drink sustainability programme. He also gained extensive experience in the global marketplace having spent 15 years managing Bord Bia offices in London, Milan and Paris. A Board Member of the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB), Jim holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Science from University College Dublin and has completed several professional development programmes.

Dalton became CEO of Greencore plc, a manufacturer of convenience food, in 2022. It employs ~14,000 people, is the largest sandwich maker in the world, and has leading positions in the Italian Ready Meal, Sushi, Salad and Cooking Sauce markets in the UK. From 2017-2022 Dalton was the CEO of daa plc, which operates Dublin and Cork Airports. Between 2010 and 2015, Dalton was CEO of Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, then the UK’s fourth largest supermarket chain. In 2005 Dalton joined the Weston family as CEO of luxury goods retailer Brown Thomas, and in 2007 as their COO for Loblaw (Canada). Dalton has a BA from UCD, an MBA from Harvard Business School and an Honorary Doctorate of Management from Bradford University.

Anthony is the Managing Director for Aryzta North West Europe with responsibility for Ireland, UK, Netherlands and Denmark. Anthony started his career in the financial services sector and moved into the food industry in 1998. In 2010 Anthony joined Ornua as Group Chief Operating Officer. Ornua is a €2bn Dairy company which is most commonly known for the Kerrygold Brand. In addition to his role as COO he was the Executive Chairman of DPI Specialty Foods, a $1.2b USD specialty food distributor. Anthony re-joined Aryzta in 2018. Anthony has a B.Sc.(mgmt.) Trinity College Dublin, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Andrew joined the Board on 1 August 2023 and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer on 8 August 2023, of Domino’s Pizza Group plc. Andrew has an extensive career in the Domino’s global system, a deep knowledge of the brand, vast experience of working with franchisees, and was himself a very successful multi-unit franchisee for a decade. Andrew spent over two decades with Sydney-listed Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE), in roles including: CEO of France and Belgium from 2006 to 2010, COO and then CEO of its Australia and New Zealand business from 2010 to 2013, and CEO of its European business from 2014 to 2020, which includes the Master Franchise Agreements for France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Deirdre is Director of Sustainability and Quality Assurance (Origin Green) in Bord Bia, where she is responsible for the management and development of Ireland’s national quality assurance and sustainability programmes for the agri-food sector. Prior to her appointment, Deirdre was Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland and interim Head of Communciations, where she led the development and implementation of Ireland’s first sustainability strategy. Deirdre has also held positions with leading dairy exporter Ornua, Nestle Switzerland, and Metro Group. Deirdre holds an MSc in Business Sustainability and an MBS in International Business from University College Dublin Smurfit Graduate School.

Gaelle is Vice-President Global Responsible Sourcing for Sodexo. She began her career in Accor, a global hospitality group, where she held various positions for more than 10 years. In 2018, she joined Sodexo Benefits and Rewards as a Project Lead for Transformation, People and Organization. In 2021, she became the Global Transformation Program Director for Supply Management at Sodexo, where she led and coordinated a strategic program to optimize the procurement and supply chain processes and systems worldwide. In 2023, she advanced to VP, where she is responsible for designing and implementing a global strategy for responsible and sustainable sourcing, aligned with the group's corporate social responsibility commitments and goals.

Toby is a facilitator - he helps clever people solve complex problems through interesting, productive conversation. He works with NASA, the United Nations, the World Bank, the National Science Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health and a number of National Governments, Development Agencies and large companies.

Claire is the Managing Director for the Irish market at Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, where she leads the sales and marketing efforts for the entire Pernod Ricard portfolio of premium wines and spirits across Ireland. She is an integral member of the Irish Distillers Leadership Team and the Pernod Ricard Northern Europe CODI. Previously, Claire served as the Managing Director Brand Homes at Irish Distillers, where she spearheaded the impressive €12 million redevelopment of Jameson Distillery Bow Street. Under her leadership, the revitalized Jameson brand home has quickly become the most sought-after whiskey experience globally, attracting over 350,000 visitors within its first year of reopening in March 2017.

Simon was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Kepak Group in 2021 after more than three decades with the company, during which he held various director-level roles in marketing, sales, and commercial functions. Before his appointment as Group CEO, Simon oversaw Kepak’s Foods Division, managing retail, food-to-go, and foodservice channels in Ireland, the UK, and mainland Europe. A graduate of the Marketing Institute, he has significantly contributed to developing Kepak's branded portfolio which includes Rustlers, Big Al's and Francis Street. As CEO, Simon is responsible for 13 manufacturing sites across the UK and Ireland, leading a workforce of 4,500 and overseeing a turnover of €1.75 billion.

Paul was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Monaghan Mushrooms in November 2019. He has been part of the executive team since 2007 having previously served as Chief Operating Officer between 2008 and 2017. With over 20 years’ experience with the group, Paul has played an integral role in consolidating Monaghan’s market leading position in the UK and Ireland, and latterly its expansion into Continental Europe and Canada. He is currently President of the European Grower’s Association.