Animal health Ireland (AHI) today (Tuesday, January 7) confirmed that it has appointed Dr. Seán Brady as interim chief executive officer (CEO.
Dr. Brady had previously served as a board director of AHI for 11 years.
He is a leading figure in Ireland’s Irish co-operative and agrifood sector and previously served as CEO during key transformative periods for the Irish Dairy Board (now Ornua), Aurivo Co-op, LacPatrick Dairies and Greyhound Racing Ireland, providing “key strategic direction in each role”.
Last month he was awarded the ‘Plunkett Award’ by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) for his contribution to the agri-sector.
Dr. Brady was reared on a family farm in Arva, Co. Cavan, and among his most notable achievements was that he chaired the expert committee responsible for developing “Food Harvest 2020,” the 10-year strategic vision for the growth of Ireland’s agri-food and fisheries sectors.
He is currently chair of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Bovine TB Strategy Implementation Group.
AHI
The chair of AHI, James Lynch, said Dr Brady’s “wide ranging industry experience, his knowledge of the AHI business and his previous interim CEO roles make him the ideal candidate to act as custodian and driver of the AHI business strategy, as the organisation seeks to appoint a new CEO.”
AHI had confirmed last month that its previous CEO, Kevin McConnell planned to step down from the role.
The board had thanked McConnell for his contribution to the business during 2024 and at the time said it had has begun the process to appoint a new CEO.
McConnell had been appointed to the board in April 2024, taking over the role from Dr. David Graham, who announced his intention to step down in October 2023.
Dr. Graham stepped down in April after taking up the role of CEO in 2017, and joining the organisation in 2010.