The three representatives from Kerry Group who will sit on the new board of Kerry Dairy Ireland have been revealed.
Agriland understands that Catherine Keogh, Gavin Caplis and Ronan Deasy will fill the three positions for the company as part of the joint venture deal with Kerry Co-op.
Last month, Kerry Group shareholders voted in favour of selling the company’s dairy division, Kerry Dairy Ireland, to Kerry Co-op for €500 million.
The deal was also approved by 82% of eligible Kerry Co-op shareholders at a special meeting held in Killarney.
Under the terms of the sale Kerry Co-op will initially take a 70% stake in Kerry Dairy Ireland (€350 million), with Kerry Group retaining a 30% interest.
The remaining portion of Kerry Dairy Ireland will have to be transferred to Kerry Co-op by 2035.
Board
Catherine Keogh is chief corporate affairs officer with Kerry Group, having joined the company in 2016 as vice-president strategic marketing and business planning.
Gavin Caplis, joined Kerry Group in 1999, having previously worked as Financial Controller in Global Energy Services. He was appointed as the company’s chief strategy officer in 2020.
Ronan Deasy is currently the group company secretary at Kerry Group and has worked with the company for over 30 years.
Pat Murphy, chief executive of Kerry Dairy Ireland, will also sit on the board as part of the deal.
In December, Kerry Co-op announced the appointment of its six nominee directors to the board of Kerry Dairy Ireland.
The new appointments to the board are current Kerry Co-op directors, including: Joe Collins; Conor Creedon; Mike O’ Flynn; Eoghan McCarth; Jim McInerney; and TJ Murphy.
It had already been agreed that Kerry Dairy Ireland’s Board of Directors will be chaired by Kerry Co-op chair, James Tangney.
There will also be two independent non-executive directors appointed to the board, who are yet to be confirmed.
As previously reported by Agriland, Kerry Group confirmed at the start of the month, that phase one of the sale of Kerry Dairy Ireland to Kerry Co-op had been completed.