The deadline for expressions of interest in the role of chair of the board of Bord Bia has been extended by one week.

Originally, applications had to be submitted before 3:00pm on Friday, December 15; but this deadline has been extended by one week, to 3:00pm on Friday, December 22.

In late November, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine invited people to apply to become the new chair of Bord Bia.

The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, is prepared to welcome expressions of interest from “outstanding individuals” for the role.

The position is for a period of three years and requires extensive knowledge and appreciation of the Irish agriculture, food, drink and horticulture industry, according to the department.

Michael Carey is currently the chair of Bord Bia and he is coming to the end of his second term in office. He first took up the role in 2011 and was re-appointed in 2014 by the then Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney.

In order to be eligible, applicants must demonstrate evidence of: leadership; capability; communication skills; industry knowledge; as well as personal integrity and a focus on governance.

Prospective applicants must have significant senior management experience – at CEO, managing director or chair level – at a “fast-moving and results-oriented organisation of significant scale in the agriculture, food, drink or horticulture business”.

Another key requirement of the role is an understanding of the complexity of the sector, with extensive experience of multi-faceted stakeholder engagement and how the agri-food industry works.

Previous experience of public speaking and delivering presentations is also required, alongside excellent communication skills – both written and oral.

It is hoped that the right candidates will “provide innovative strategic leadership and direction to ensure the continuing growth of Ireland‟s most important indigenous sector”.

As yet, it is unclear how many expressions of interest have been submitted to date – as the application process is highly confidential.