Kepak Group and Greencore lead appointment round up

New chief executive appointed within Kepak Group

Irish food firm Kepak Group has appointed Brian Farrell as the new chief executive of the Kepak Foods Division.

Farrell joins Kepak Foods after spending almost 10 years in various executive positions at Glanbia plc. Most recently, Farrell served as Glanbia Nutritionals chief development officer. Prior to that, he was the director at IBI Corporate Finance, a firm that specialises in mergers and acquisitions, funding and strategic advice.

Kepak Foods manufactures fresh and prepared meat products, with its portfolio of brands including Rustler’s and Celtic Beef. It operates 13 manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland and the UK.

Simon Walker, chief executive of Kepak Group, said following the appointment that the firm was “delighted​” to welcome Farrell to its foods division.

“[Farrell] is a leader with a proven track record in managing businesses for growth and driving acquisitive development​,” Walker added.

“I look forward to working alongside Brian and wish him every success in his new role​.”

Greencore tabs new chief financial officer

Catherine Gubbins has been recruited as the new chief financial officer of UK convenience foods manufacturer Greencore.

Expected to join Greencore in early 2024, Gubbins will also serve as an executive director. Jonathan Solesbury, who joined as interim chief financial officer in June 2023, will continue in his role into next year to support with the transition.

Prior to the appointment, Gubbins worked for global airports and travel retail group daa plc, where she served as group chief financial officer since March 2021. Before moving to daa plc, Gubbins spent 16 years as a senior manager in assurance and business advisory with PwC Ireland.

Greencore chair, Leslie Van de Walle, said that the appointment followed a “rigorous selection process​”.

Van de Walle continued: “We are pleased to have been able to attract a candidate of Catherine's calibre to the board.”​

Meanwhile, Gubbins praised the “strong legacy​” of the Greencore organisation.

"I’m delighted to be joining a business with such a pedigree and am really looking forward to working with the team to drive the growth potential of the business​,” she said.

Around Noon bolsters board of directors

On-the-go food producer Around Noon has added to its fast-growing board of directors with the appointment of Dominic Darby.

Darby has more than 20 years of experience working for Marks and Spencer and will serve as technical and innovation director at Around Noon.

In his new role, Darby is responsible for leading on the quality, food safety, integrity and legality of products sold, as well as delivering product development and innovation strategies.

“What Around Noon has achieved in the last few years is nothing short of phenomenal​”, he said.

“I wanted to join a company that shared my values of innovation, integrity and excellence. Their achievements are testament to their passionate team, and I can’t wait to help them build on their strong growth.”​

Darby added that he was excited to drive Around Noon’s sustainability efforts as part of its goal of “protecting the planet​”.

In other news, Cheese and butter supplier Ornua Foods UK posts its latest financial results.​​