Our Food Connects (Project Connect) has announced the appointment of Tom Cronin as its new executive director, with his tenure commencing in mid-September.

Our Food Connects brings together key players in the agri-food sector to promote Irish agriculture.

Tom Cronin brings over two decades of leadership experience across sustainability, food and beverage, and strategic communications.

He has previously served as head of stakeholder and client services at a leading sustainability services firm, where he led commercial and marketing activities.

His career also includes leadership roles at Green Isle Foods and GSK Sports Nutrition, as well as strategic communications work with Bank of Ireland.

His appointment is part of the agri-food sector’s "renewed focus on deepening public engagement and elevating rural voices to shape national conversations about food and farming".

This is the first leadership position established for Our Food Connects.

Additional appointments are to be announced in the coming weeks.

Welcoming the appointment, Tom Moran, interim chair of Our Food Connects, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tom Cronin as executive director following an extensive and competitive selection process involving a cross-section of industry representatives.

"His track record in driving collaboration and delivering impact across sustainability and food sectors makes him ideally placed to lead Our Food Connects.

"We look forward to working with and supporting Tom as he helps grow the reach and relevance of this important initiative.”

Once in post this September, an early priority for Cronin will be "engaging directly with stakeholders across the agri-food ecosystem to explore the sector’s most pressing challenges and most promising opportunities".

Cronin said: “Ireland’s food industry is one of our greatest national assets.

"Its future will be defined by our ability to work together across the value chain - from farm to fork - to protect our land, water, and communities, and by how we engage with the Irish public to deepen their understanding and appreciation for the sector."

Over the past 12 months, Our Food Connects has been led by an interim governance board with broad experience in the agri-food and farming sectors.