Curiosity, Courage & Seizing Opportunities: Our key takeouts from MBW's Ireland Conference

Dublin was buzzing on 30th September as the Meat Business Wome community came together for our Ireland Conference. 70 delegates, ready for a day of straight-talking insights, career-boosting advice and powerful stories.

If you couldn’t make it, here are the five standout moments you’ll want to know about:

1. “It’s all about us” – Jim O’Toole, Bord Bia

Jim O’Toole, CEO of Bord Bia, set the tone with a powerful truth: inclusion isn’t just for one group of colleagues – it’s about all of us. Backing MBW since its inception, Jim reminded us that allyship means showing up, sponsoring talent, and ensuring policies aren’t just written down but lived every day. His advice was to treat inclusion like any other business challenge: set targets, hold leaders accountable, and measure progress. It’s not an HR initiative; it’s a commercial imperative.

2. Your worst day can be your best teacher – Natasha Adams, Tesco

Natasha Adams, Tesco’s Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, brought her brilliant authenticity to the stage. With 27 years and 13 roles at Tesco, she’s weathered many ups and downs including Covid store closures, and the pressure of leading through change. It was truly inspiring to hear from her successes, but also the invaluable lessons she learnt when the going got tough. Her key lessons:

Define your impact: ask what will be different in 12 months because I’m here?
Seize opportunities: even the ones that terrify you – they often lead to the biggest growth.
Protect your wellbeing: it’s not indulgent, it’s the foundation for everything else.
Choose mentors who challenge you: growth doesn’t come from comfort.

Her parting words stuck: “Wear it well – we deserve to be at the table and never feel inferior when we’re there.”

3. Curiosity + Courage = Growth – Patricia Blackshields, Musgrave

Patricia Blackshields, Acting Chief Commercial Officer at Musgrave, spoke about ambition as a lifelong practice of curiosity. For her, career growth hasn’t always been linear: lateral moves, retraining during Covid as an executive coach, and blending creativity with commercial leadership have given her a unique toolkit. She urged us to:

Keep learning, even when it means stepping into the unknown.
Stack your capabilities – creativity, coaching, strategy – and use them together.
Recognise your superpower – hers is active listening – and lean into it.

Her mantra summed it up perfectly: “Curiosity opens the door, but courage keeps it open.”

4. The Future of Food is Data-Driven, Human-Led

Our panel, chaired by Christine Farrell, looked ahead to the biggest shifts shaping food and farming. Progress in technology is undeniable, but adoption is uneven. Cost barriers on farm, generational divides in digital skills, and the challenge of turning data into insight all came through strongly.

Data must drive better decisions, not just dashboards, therefore, there was a defniite consecnsus that progression is better than perfection.
Supply chain adoption matters – without alignment, innovation stalls.
Consumers want to reconnect – bridging the gap between food production and public understanding is vital.

5. Say yes – even when it scares you

At the Pearse Lyons Distillery, hosted by Alltech, we closed with Kevin Cahill (ABP Food Group) and Orla McAleer (Alltech). Both leaders spoke openly about ambition, resilience and career choices. Their takeaways:

Say yes to opportunities, even if they don’t look perfect or linear. Some of the most rewarding roles come from sideways moves.
Stay optimistic, even against global challenges. The food industry thrives on resilience.
Be authentic. People connect with leaders who are real, not flawless.
Build your personal boardroom. Surround yourself with people who hold you accountable, challenge your thinking, and champion your progress.