Dr. Doreen Corridan has been announced as the new chief executive of the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC).
Confirming the news to Agriland, the board of Munster Bovine stated that Dr. Corridan is leaving the organisation to take the role of chief executive with the NCBC.
She will take over the role from which was previously held by Bernard Eivers.
NCBC was established in 2005 as a joint venture between Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics.
Dr. Corridan was appointed chief executive of Munster Bovine in 2021, having been the head of technical and on the senior management team of Munster Bovine since 2007.
Munster Bovine
Chair of Munster Bovine, Donal Santry, said that Dr. Corridan had been an “excellent chief executive of Munster Bovine”.
He said: “Since her appointment, she has continued to develop the business, with an effective and competitive service offering and a professional delivery team, which positions Munster Bovine for continued strong growth.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Doreen, and on behalf of the board and all the team at Munster Bovine, I want to thank her for all her efforts.
“We wish her every success leading NCBC to deliver on its future objectives.”
A native of Co. Kerry, Corridan resides in Fedamore, Co. Limerick with her family, where together they breed pedigree Limousin cattle.
A qualified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Corridan has a PhD specialising in cattle reproduction.
She has played a key role in the development of the Munster Herd Health programme in line with company and national strategies, working closely with key industry stakeholders.
Dr. Corridan was a key driver in the development of FarmOps, the platform that integrates all Munster Bovine services into one platform.
She has also served as a board director with the NCBC and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).
Commenting on leaving her current role and her appointment as chief executive of NCBC, Dr. Corridan said: “As someone with a passionate interest in breeding and genetics, it has been a huge honour for me to serve as chief executive of Munster Bovine.
“I will continue to work closely with Munster Bovine ensuring that it can play an effective role in the future of sustainable farming in the wider Munster region.”
Martin Kavanagh, currently business development and sustainability manager with Munster Bovine, has been appointed interim chief executive, while the company carries out a recruitment process.
Dr. Corridan will take up her new role in 2024, providing for what Munster Bovine has described as “a smooth transition in leadership”.
NCBC
Welcoming Dr. Corridan to her new role, NCBC chairman, Kevin Keavney said: “Doreen is widely acknowledged as one of the country’s leading experts on cattle breeding and bovine genetics.
“The board identified her as an ideal candidate for the role of NCBC chief executive and I’m pleased that with the support of NCBC and Munster Bovine and their respective shareholders, she has agreed to lead NCBC in the important role of continuing to strengthen Ireland’s cattle breeding industry for the benefit of all herd owners and sustainable farming in Ireland.”
The chairman also acknowledged the contribution that Bernard Eivers has made to cattle breeding in Ireland.
Eivers was the first CEO of NCBC when it was established in 2005 and NCBC has played a key role in driving genetic gain across the national herd.
A qualified veterinary surgeon, Eivers took on the role shortly after the formation of NCBC. Eivers has been at the helm of the organisation since then, overseeing a number of developments within the organisation.
For the 10 years prior to taking up the role with NCBC, he had been technical director of Progressive Genetics Ireland Ltd.
He played a key role in introducing genomic selection in 2009 being second only to the US and more recently NCBC opened a sexing laboratory at the Naas headquarters.
The chairman thanked Bernard Eivers for his commitment and dedication to NCBC for the past 18 years and wished him the very best for the future.