Bord Bia and University College Dublin‘s Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School are looking for 20 of Ireland’s sharpest minds to market small and medium-sized Irish agri-food businesses worldwide.
The Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship has been running for more than four years and has produced 25 top-class Irish brand ambassadors. Recruitment for the 2014 intake is now under way.
Speaking to AgriLand, programme manager Eoin Taafe said the intensive 12-month action learning programme gives successful candidates the combined opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with some of Ireland’s leading food companies and also gain a masters degree.
Participants’ time will be split between working in one of a possible 14 key international markets supported by Bord Bia and studying for an MSc International Marketing Practice at UCD Smurfit School. The locations are expected to include New York, London, Paris, Dusseldorf, Dubai, Sydney, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Moscow, Shanghai, New Delhi, Tokyo and Stockholm.
“We are not just looking for people with food experience, people with a finance, business and agriculture background, are more than welcome. The more diverse the better as it brings a diverse mindset,” explained Taafe.
“The fellows will go out and market Irish small food businesses in New York or Madrid for example, to get their produce on the shelves. The fellows gain invaluable experience and the Irish small business gets key marketing.”
A win-win by all accounts. Applications will open in January for graduates with a minimum of two to three years of work experience. Some placements will require fluency in a second language.
Pictured past graduates of the Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship