New Bord Bia manager for Asia, Africa & Middle East
Bord Bia has appointed Fiona O'Shaughnessy as the regional manager for Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
In her role as part of Bord Bia’s Global Business Development team, Fiona will implement a market diversification strategy in these regions, aiming to drive the commercial success of the Irish food and drink industry.
Based in Bord Bia’s Global Hub in Dublin, O'Shaughnessy will oversee a regional team in offices across China, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore and United Arab Emirates (UAE) focusing on developing effective activity plans that enhance international customer engagement and create opportunities for business conversion.
Speaking on Fiona’s appointment, Global Business Development director for Bord Bia, Shane Hamill said: “With over 15 years’ experience in the industry, Fiona brings extensive strategic and operational expertise to her new role.
"We are thrilled that she will be leading our international teams in the promotion of Ireland’s sustainably produced food and drink to customers globally.”
Fiona O'Shaughnessy has been with Bord Bia since 2018. Most recently, she served as the business development manager for consumer foods, which was worth €3.3 billion in 2024.
Before joining Bord Bia, O'Shaughnessy held various technical and commercial roles in consumer foods, meat and horticulture and graduated from Bord Bia’s Marketing Fellowship programme in 2011.
Speaking on her promotion, O'Shaughnessy said: “I look forward to working with the Global Business Development team in Bord Bia, building on my experience with the prepared consumer foods team, to elevate the brand of food and drink from Ireland in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
"The upcoming government-led trade mission to South Korea and Japan in June serves as an opportunity for me to deepen relationships with clients in the region and to support the growth of Irish exports in these markets.”
Her predecessor, Ciarán Gallagher, was recently appointed as regional manager for Europe and North America, also based in Dublin.
Originally from Tipperary and currently living in Westmeath, Fiona O'Shaughnessy holds an MSc in marketing practice from University College Dublin (UCD) Smurfit and a BSc in nutritional sciences from University College Cork (UCC).
Countries in the Asia, Africa & Middle East market include:
- Asia: China; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Japan; Malaysia; Philippines; Singapore; South Korea; Thailand; Vietnam;
- Africa: Algeria; Egypt; Ghana; Guinea; Ivory Coast; Kenya; Liberia; Libya; Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Morocco; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Tanzania; Togo; Tunisia; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe;
- Middle East: Bahrain; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Oman; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Syria; UAE; Yemen.
