Ireland Conference & Evening Cocktails: Fuelled by Ambition

Kate Acheson

Life, Team and Career Coaching, Coaching Studio

No bio provided

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Natasha Adams

Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Tesco

Natasha is responsible for the Group’s strategy and innovation, ensuring that we continue to scale and accelerate our long-term strategic plans and innovation pipeline.

Natasha joined Tesco in 1998 as a Personnel Manager, then served in a range of store-focused roles.  She took on the role of Chief People Officer in 2018. Prior to being appointed to her current role, she was CEO, Ireland and Northern Ireland from 2022.

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Harriet Belcher

Partnerships Director, Meat Business Women

Harriet joined Meat Business Women as Partnerships Director in August 2023. Here, she is focused on adding value to partners and increasing engagement across our wider community, to truly make meaningful change to the meat sector by attracting and retaining female talent. She won the first Meat Business Women ‘One to Watch Award’ in 2018 and was part of the UK&I Committee for three years.

Her career so far has involved Head of Agriculture & senior CSR roles for quick service restaurant chain McDonald’s and retailers ALDI and Co-op Food, with industry placements at Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s whilst at university. She graduated from Harper Adams University in 2014 and during her studies was a columnist for the Farmers Weekly.

With her background and passion for Agriculture, Harriet is a previous member of the NFU’s Next Generation Policy Forum, advisor to the Prince’s Countryside Fund Farming Group and sat on the Red Tractor Board for Beef and Lamb standards.

Harriet is based on her partners’ arable farm in Shropshire and also helps on her family’s beef & sheep farm in Staffordshire. Previously an active Young Farmers’ member, she enjoys coaching younger members in public speaking and stock judging, as well as organising various charity events.

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Patricia Blackshields, MBA

Acting Chief Commercial Officer, Musgraves

No bio provided

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Kevin Cahill

Managing Director, ABP Ireland

Kevin Cahill joined ABP Ireland as Managing Director in 2021. He has over 25 years of experience in the meat and meat processing sector. Prior to this role, he served as Managing Director Europe at OSI. Kevin is a graduate of UCC.

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Emma Dillon

Economist and Senior Research Officer , Teagasc

Emma Dillon is an Economist and Senior Research Officer with Teagasc.  She has a multi-faceted role in terms of survey design, data analysis and reporting of key trends in contemporary Irish agriculture.  Research areas of interest include measuring sustainability for policy monitoring and evaluation, and assessing structural change on Irish farms.  Emma is currently leading research on advancing social sustainability metrics in the National Farm Survey including generational renewal and gender on Irish farms and evaluating the viability and resilience of small farms. 

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Emer Fardy

Group Sustainability & Human Rights Director, Hilton Foods

Emer Fardy is the Group Sustainability & Human Rights Director at Hilton Foods, where she leads a team of specialists developing and delivering the company’s Sustainable Protein Plan across their global operations. This comprehensive strategy focuses on people, planet, and product, aligning with Hilton Foods’ role as a leading specialist food packing business serving major international retailers and food service companies globally. Emer is actively involved in industry governance and advocacy. She serves on the board of the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS) and the governance board of the UK Soy Manifesto. She also previously represented retail interests on the Red Tractor Pigs Board and its Technical Advisory Committee for four years.

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Orla McAleer

Chief Culture Officer, Alltech

Orla McAleer is the chief culture officer at Alltech. In this role, she works to strengthen the company’s emphasis on its people and purpose. She has worked in the business for over 20 years, traveling extensively, building teams and close relationships with colleagues globally. She leads the company focus on culture, including the alignment of its purpose, mission, vision and values.

McAleer has been central to the tremendous growth in the organization and has helped build a winning marketing team and brand that has matched the growth ambitions of the company.Prior to this role, she was the chief marketing officer at Alltech, responsible for overseeing the company’s global marketing efforts across its more than 120 markets. She has a track record in strategic global marketing leadership, B2B brand building and communications.

McAleer held several marketing and communications roles before joining Alltech at its European headquarters in Ireland in 2003 as European public relations manager. She was promoted to communications manager for Europe and Asia in 2004. In 2008, she relocated to Bangkok, Thailand, for her role as Asia-Pacific marketing manager, building the team and brand in 17 countries.She returned to Ireland to head up the European marketing function in 2010. She was also heavily involved in the corporate brand and $30 million activation of the sponsorship of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2010 and 2014.

In 2016, she became responsible for Alltech marketing globally and took on the role of chief marketing officer officially in 2017. She has steered the marketing function through integration of over 20 acquired companies, a transition to greatly enhanced digital marketing and activating the Alltech purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.

McAleer received her master's degree in business, leadership and management practice from the University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and holds a diploma in public relations.

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Jim O'Toole

CEO, Bord Bia

Jim O’Toole was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Bord Bia in November 2022. Previously, Jim held the role of Chief Executive Officer, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency from April 2017 to October 2022. Prior to this, Jim held several senior positions in Bord Bia, including spearheading the development of Origin Green, the worlds’ only national food and drink sustainability programme. O’Toole also gained extensive experience in the global marketplace having spent 15 years managing Bord Bia offices in London, Milan and Paris. A Board Member of the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB ), Jim holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Science from University College Dublin. He has completed professional development programmes at Ashridge Business School, Cranfield University, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and Harvard Business School.

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Laura Ryan

Founder & Global Chair, Meat Business Women

Laura is a globally recognised expert in building networks and driving transformational change across the agri-food sector. Until 2019, she was Director of the Beef & Lamb Board at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). In 2023, she was named in The Grocer’s Power List for her influence in the industry.

Through her consultancy, Lavenpark, Laura empowers businesses to achieve greater success by enhancing industry insight, connectivity, business development, marketing, and communications. She also delivers executive coaching, equipping leaders with the strategies to navigate change and maximise their impact.

Laura is the founder and Global Chair of Meat Business Women, the global professional network for women in the meat industry, which is recognised by the United Nations as a solution to the global Sustainable Development Goals.

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