Kerry Group has announced that Oliver Kelly will lead its North America operations from the beginning of next year.
In a statement today (Thursday, December 16), the company confirmed that Kelly will take over as president and CEO of the division from January 1, 2022.
He will replace Gerry Behan who had been acting as interim president and chief executive officer for the region.
Behan will now continue in his broader role as president and CEO for Kerry Taste and Nutrition.
Kerry appointment
According to the statement, Oliver Kelly has held numerous commercial and management roles over the past 30 years.
A native of Ballinasloe in Co. Galway, he joined Kerry in 1991 after graduating from University College Dublin (UCD) with a degree in agricultural science.
He moved to North America from Ireland in 2018 after leading the company’s strategic growth in the food service channel for the Europe region.
Commenting on the new appointment, Gerry Behan, president and CEO of taste and nutrition at the company, said:
“Throughout his career, Oliver has demonstrated sustainable success in building and leading effective teams that fuel business growth for Kerry and for our customers.
“Oliver has also shown a clear passion for driving change and a personal commitment to promoting a more inclusive workplace within Kerry. I am looking forward to working with Oliver as we work towards creating a world of sustainable nutrition,” Behan said.
Kerry is the among the world’s leading taste and nutrition companies for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.
It employs over 22,000 people across the world, including a global research and development team of over 1,100 food scientists.
The company, which run a €100 million innovation centre in Naas, Co. Kildare, has pledged to reach over two billion consumers with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030.