Bord Bia appoints new chief executive officer
The Irish Food Board – Bord Bia has announced that Jim O’Toole has been appointed as its new chief executive officer and is scheduled to take up the position in November.
O’Toole is currently CEO of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency and is experienced in global food marketing, sustainability development and change leadership.
Announcing the appointment, chairman of Bord Bia Dan MacSweeney said that O’Toole’s “considerable experience in the agrifood sector, depth of international experience and strong corporate, strategic and operational expertise makes him an ideal leader to deliver strategic transformation, building on the great work of his predecessors and the rest of the Bord Bia team.
“We look forward to working with Jim, and are confident his leadership will ensure Bord Bia continues to deliver on its strategic mission to promote sustainably-produced Irish produce to customers around the world.”
MacSweeney thanked interim CEO Michael Murphy for “his commitment and dedication” to Bord Bia and the food, drink and horticulture sector during his term.
Deeply honoured
Jim O’Toole said: “I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Bord Bia’s CEO and I look forward to working with the Board and the talented team in Bord Bia to implement the recently published strategy. I have been most fortunate to have previously spent over twenty years in Bord Bia and more recently have had the privilege of being the CEO of Bord Iascaigh Mhara for over five years. I sincerely wish my BIM colleagues the best for the future and look forward to continuing the close collaboration between the two agencies.”
A very exciting time
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D. commented: “I have worked closely with Jim in his current role as CEO of BIM, and he will be an excellent CEO for Bord Bia. This is a very exciting time for our agri-food industry and Jim will lead a very talented team during one of the most defining periods for our sector.”
McConalogue added that he was looking forward to leading “a major agri-food trade mission” to a number of Asian markets with Bord Bia, starting at the end of August.
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