Kerrygold dairy co-op Ornua appoints two new key roles
Ornua, the owner of the Kerrygold brand, has strengthened its leadership team by appointing Shane Henry and Seán McHugh to new strategic roles as part of a five-year growth strategy.
Irish dairy co-op Ornua, renowned for its globally popular Kerrygold brand, has officially announced the appointment of two senior executives to critical new roles. Shane Henry has been appointed as Managing Director of Ornua Dairy Ingredients, while Seán McHugh has been named Head of Global Manufacturing and Operational Excellence.
Shane Henry will lead the newly established Ornua Dairy Ingredients division, focusing on developing sustainable and profitable routes to market for Irish dairy products produced by Ornua’s member cooperatives. His team will be responsible for servicing key international customers across Europe, the UK, the US, and the MEA region. Bringing 25 years of experience at Ornua, most recently as MD of Route-to-Market and Member Relations, Henry will report directly to Ornua’s CEO, Conor Galvin.
Seán McHugh will report to Jason Musk, the Chief Operations Officer of Ornua. In this new capacity, McHugh will drive performance across the company’s global manufacturing footprint while leading a standardized operational excellence program. With 25 years of tenure at the co-op, McHugh previously served as MD of Kerrygold Park in Mitchelstown, Co Cork—the home of Kerrygold butter—and has been instrumental in the company’s innovation agenda as the former Global Head of Research and Development.
Combining deep industry knowledge with extensive internal experience, both appointees are expected to play pivotal roles in the evolution of the business. McHugh’s history at the flagship production facility, combined with his background in R&D, ensures a strong emphasis on quality and innovation as the cooperative scales its operations to meet shifting market demands.
CEO Conor Galvin stated that these appointments are fundamental to implementing a more focused and agile global operating model. According to Galvin, this transition is essential for delivering on the organization’s ambitious five-year growth strategy, which aims to drive significant value for Ornua’s member co-operatives and Irish farming families, while ensuring the company continues to meet the diverse needs of customers around the globe.