DAIRY farmer Cormac O’Keeffe, has been announced as the new chair of Carbery Group.
The current chairman of Lisavaird Co-op, he will succeed TJ Sullivan in the role. Dermot O’Leary, chairman of Bandon Co-op, has been appointed vice-chair of the organisation.
Cormac is a dairy farmer from Courleigh, Clonakilty. He first joined the Lisavaird board in 2006 and has held several roles.
He has also previously been vice-chairman of Shinagh Estates and a board member of Munster Bovine and the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC). Cormac holds a diploma in environmental science and social policy from UCC and is a member of the Carbery Greener Dairy Farms group. He is married to Clodagh, and they have three children – James, Laoise and Eoghan. He described the appointment as a ‘great honour.’
‘The company is essential to the farmers of West Cork and we are also now a significant global business. I am excited about working with my fellow board members and the management team as we continue to focus on growing the business and securing a stable future for the farmers of West Cork and the 900 Carbery employees worldwide,’ he said.
He also recognised the work of outgoing chair TJ Sullivan. ‘TJ has had a more challenging term than anyone could have imagined in dealing with the sudden arrival of Covid and all that managing that situation has entailed. Despite the circumstances, under his tenure we acquired Innova Flavors in the US and successfully completed our €78m cheese diversification project and expansion.’
