Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, has announced the appointment of Tara McCarthy as chief executive.
McCarthy will succeed current chief executive, Aiden Cotter, who will retire in January 2017.
McCarthy will join Bord Bia from her role as chief executive of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), a position she has been in since September 2015.
Prior to this McCarthy worked with Bord Bia for over 20 years holding a number of senior positions, including senior manager, Consumer Foods Division (2001 – 2011), and director, Food and Beverage Division (2011 – 2015).
Commenting on the announcement chairman of Bord Bia, Michael Carey, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Tara McCarthy to chief executive of Bord Bia. Tara has clearly demonstrated her leadership capabilities during a 20-year career in the agri-food industry.
“The competition for the role was very intense and throughout the robust process, the panel was hugely impressed by the high calibre of candidates,” Carey continued. “Tara is exceptionally well qualified to take the organisation to the next level, with a deep understanding of the work of Bord Bia. She has proven to be a strong leader and fully appreciates the need to build close relationships with the organisation’s key stakeholders. I am confident that Tara will meet any challenges facing the sector, and pursue new opportunities, with vision, determination and imagination.”
McCarthy added: “It is an honour to be asked to lead Bord Bia during what is a very exciting time for the Irish food and drink industry. Our total exports target of €19 billion, as set out by FoodWise 2025, is ambitious, yet achievable, and I am looking forward to working with all stakeholders, including farmers, food manufacturers and producers in order to reach that goal.
“I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Aidan Cotter, and I hope to build upon his outstanding work over the coming years.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
