Veterinary medicine giant Norbrook has appointed a new regional head of sales and marketing in Ireland.

The new appointee, Brendan McVeigh, will lead all sales and marketing activities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

McVeigh will be taking over from Patrick Hughes who has decided to retire at the beginning of August, after 35 years’ service.

This role will focus primarily on leading the business on the island of Ireland, where Norbrook has had a significant presence for the past 50 years, according to the firm, including management of its current portfolio and an “exciting new product pipeline across both the companion and farm animal sectors”.

McVeigh brings over 20 years’ experience in the animal health industry and joins  from Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Animal Health where he most recently held the position of Intensive Livestock Business unit director.

Prior to joining MSD Animal Health, Brendan spent 14 years in Norbrook Laboratories in various sales roles, including sales manager for Northern Ireland for both farm and companion animal sectors.

Hughes will continue in his current role until he retires at the beginning of August 2019. Hughes and McVeigh will work closely together until then to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Richard Palmer, global head of sales and marketing in Norbrook, said: “We are delighted to welcome Brendan to the Norbrook team. Brendan brings significant commercial, strategic and leadership experience to the role.

This appointment underlines Norbrook’s commitment to a strong future for our business and our customers on the island of Ireland.

McVeigh also commented, saying: “I am really looking forward to returning to Norbrook and continuing to grow the business on the island of Ireland.

“I look forward to working with the team and building relationships with customers both in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland,” he added.