Nuffield scholar, Karen Brosnan, has been announced as the new chair of Nuffield Ireland. The announcement was made at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last night, Tuesday, October 9.
Originally from a dairy farm in north Kerry, Brosnan is now a management, leadership and organisational change consultant with “extensive experience” in facilitation and strategic planning within the agri-food industry.
The new Nuffield Ireland chair is also the current chair of Gurteen College and a former chair of Ceres – the women in agri-business leadership network.
Commenting on her appointment, she said: “I am privileged to have the opportunity to chair a community of innovative thinkers – both in Ireland and within the global network of Nuffield leaders in the agriculture, food and beverage sector.
It is inspiring to work with an organisation that gives people an opportunity to build their leadership capacity through their exposure to global agriculture and build their networks around the world.
“A key element that we talk about in Nuffield is reciprocity. We look for people who will step up into leadership roles and give back.
“I have had the privilege of working with two previous chairs of Nuffield Ireland: Geoff Dooley and Bill O’Keeffe, both of whom developed our structures and our international impact.
I have learned a lot from them, and while daunting, it is exciting to have the opportunity to build on what they have achieved.
Brosnan’s first outing as chair will be at the Committee for Food Security in the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome next week.
There she will join 45 other Nuffield scholars from around the globe, including seven Irish scholars, who will be participating in a series of events about sustainability, youth in agriculture and global alignment for the betterment of the agricultural sector.