Irish dairy cooperative Ornua has appointed Lindsay Brady to the position of president of Ornua Foods North America.

In her role as president, Brady will have responsibility for leading the Ornua Foods North America business in driving ambitious growth plans for Kerrygold in the United States and Latin America.

Ornua has said that the US is a market in which the brand currently holds the number two position for branded butter.

With over 20 years’ experience in the food and beverage sector, Brady has specialised in consumer goods and accelerating business growth.

Lindsay Brady, president of Ornua Foods North America

In a statement, Ornua said: “Lindsay brings a wealth of experience having held senior leadership positions with multiple organisations including Hillshire brands, Tyson Foods, General Mills, and Campbell Soup Company.”

Most recently, Brady held the role of general manager at Conagra Brands, managing a portfolio of brands and businesses including Marie Callendar’s and Birds Eye.

The co-op said that she is a “passionate champion” of diversity and inclusion and vastly experienced in developing strong business culture.

Donal Buggy, interim chief executive Ornua said: “Lindsay brings extensive senior executive experience to this important role, having shaped the growth of several major household brands during her career in the food [and] beverage industry in the United States.

“Lindsay’s appointment reflects the ambition we have to further build the Kerrygold success story in the US market in particular, where there is significant potential for further growth.

“We look forward to working with Lindsay and wish her and the Ornua Foods North America team continued success as they pursue their ambitious development plans over the coming years.”

Ornua cooperative

Ornua is an Irish dairy co-op that markets and sells dairy products on behalf of its members, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers.

Ornua is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products and has annualised sales of over €3.4 billion.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ornua has a global team of 3,000 employees, operating from 10 business units worldwide, including 16 production facilities.

The group is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients.

Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export, Kerrygold, as well as Kerrygold Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Forto and BEO milk powders.

Ornua Ingredients is responsible for the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, for the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers across the world, and for managing volatility through de-risking and trading strategies.