Peter Byrne has announced that he will retire early next year as CEO of FRS (Farm Relief Services) Network.
The board of the social enterprise co-operative has begun a recruitment process with a view to appointing a new CEO in the coming months to allow a “seamless transition” in quarter one (QI) of 2022.
Peter Byrne served as the first manager of the National Co-Op Farm Relief Service (NCFRS) organisation when it was established in 1980 as the umbrella group for FRS co-ops.
Before taking up that role, he had worked with Macra na Feirme, where he had been tasked with researching the development of FRS.
Ever since his initial appointment, Byrne has remained at the helm of the organisation, overseeing its growth and broadening reach into other markets under the management of FRS Network.
Some of the key events during Byrne’s tenure include:
- Bringing together relief milking groups in the early 1980s to form 32 FRS co-ops and their subsequent amalgamation;
- Bringing the services of hoof care to Irish farmers in 1981; scanning in 1983; farmer sickness and accident support in 1984; and farm plastic recycling services in 1996;
- Progressing the development and diversification of the services provided by the organisation, including farming, fencing, recruitment, employment services and farming technology;
- Developing various national contracts in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection; and agri-organisations such as FBD Insurance, Teagasc and Bord Bia.
Byrne, a Roscrea, Co. Tipperary native, remarked: “The development of FRS Network has been my life’s work.
“After more than 40 years of service, now seems like the right time to hand over the reins. I look forward to working with my successor as soon as that individual has been appointed and I will continue to be available to both the new CEO and the board to ensure a seamless transition in the months ahead,” he added.
Commenting on Byrne’s imminent retirement, NCFRS chairperson Francis Fitzgerald said: “Peter has been a giant figure in Irish agriculture, business and enterprise. The impact he has had is there for all to see in the size and scope of FRS Network today.
“When you consider that this organisation grew from such humble roots in 1980 to become a social enterprise which now interacts with thousands of customers all over Ireland on a daily basis and which employs more than 2,000 members of staff, you can get some sense of what Peter has achieved,” Fitzgerald added.