Minister appoints New Chairman and Board Members to An Bord Bia

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD has announced the appointment of Mr. Michael Carey as Chairman to the Board of An Bord Bia. Mr. Carey has held senior positions in a number of multinational food companies in Ireland and the UK and is currently Chairman of Jacob's Fruitfield in Ireland.

Welcoming Mr. Carey to the Board of An Bord Bia, the Minister said that "Mr. Carey will bring considerable experience and knowledge to the agri-food sector at a time when the food industry is playing a pivotal role in the economic recovery of this country". Minister Coveney has also appointed 5 non-executive members to the Board of An Bord Bia: Mr Gary Brown, CEO, Below the Line Marketing, Mr Michael Cronin former Chairman of the Irish Dairy Board, Ms. Rhona Holland, Marketing Director Global Intelligence, Pepsi Co., Mr John Kingston, beef and dairy farmer and Mr. Brody Sweeney, food entrepreneur.

Paying tribute to the outgoing Chairman of An Bord Bia, Mr. Dan Browne, the Minister said "During an economically challenging period, I am very grateful to the significant contribution Mr Browne made to An Bord Bia and the wider food industry during his term of office".

Date Released: 07 October 2011