Irish food producer Kepak Group has named Brian Farrell as the new chief executive of its Kepak Foods division.
Prior to joining Kepak, Farrell held a number of senior executive positions with Glanbia and IBI Corporate Finance, and was most recently a member of the Glanbia Nutritionals executive leadership team, with 'global responsibility for product management across a range of activities in the nutrition sector as well as leading all corporate development activity', Kepak said in a statement.
A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, Farrell trained as a chartered accountant with KPMG, and was previously a director at IBI Corporate Finance, where he provided M&A, funding and strategic advice to clients.
'Proven Track Record'
“We are delighted to have Brian join the Kepak team as CEO of our Foods Division," commented Simon Walker, the chief executive of Kepak Group.
"Brian is a leader with a proven track record in managing businesses for growth and driving acquisitive development. I look forward to working alongside Brian and wish him every success in his new role.”
Earlier this year, Kepak signed a two-year strategic partnership with Nexer, under which the Irish group would seek to modernise its finance, stock management, production, and sales functions.
The partnership will allow for the implementation of a suite of business application solutions using Microsoft Dynamics 365 technology.
Kepak Group was founded in 1966 from a butcher's shop in Dublin, and today the business boasts a turnover of €1.8 billion and employs more than 4,500 people. It boasts 13 manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland and the UK with sales offices in Europe, the US and Asia. Its brands include Big Al’s, Rustlers, Celtic Beef and John Stone.
