Geary, who is general manager for the Nordic Region and Ireland with Zoetis, was one of five finalists selected among 40 entrants from the entire spectrum of the agri-food sector.

The Novus Award is sponsored by Kerry Group and recognises outstanding leadership among graduates working in the Irish agri-food sector.

Kerry Group's Director of Corporate Affairs Frank Hayes presented Geary with the prize at the ASA conference banquet, which was attended by 600 leading agri-food industry executives in Kilkenny on Thursday.

As winner of the €10,000 award, Geary will represent the ASA and the Irish agri-food industry at the prestigious Harvard Business School Agribusiness seminar in Boston, USA in January 2016.

Cork man Geary is a graduate in agricultural science from UCD and holds an MBA from UCC. He started his career in the AI and farm services division of Dairygold.

Since joining Zoetis in 2003, he has held a number of senior positions including business development and country manager, before taking up his current role in June 2014. He is also chairman of the animal health division of the Animal and Plant Health Association (APHA), the representative body for manufacturers and distributors on animal medicines.

Congratulating Geary, ASA President Eoin Lowry said the overall quality of applications demonstrates the outstanding calibre of professionals within the agri-food sector.

The other finalists were: Dr Anne Finnegan, AIB; Páidí Kelly, PhD student Teagasc Moorepark; Dr Stan Lalor, Grassland AGRO and Dr Karina Pierce, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science.

Members of the final judging panel were: Albert McQuaid, Chief Technology Officer Kerry Group; Prof Paul Ross, Head of the UCC School of Science, Engineering and Food Science; Tara McCarthy, Director of the Food and Beverage Division Bord Bia (Chief Executive of BIM since 1 September 2015); and Liam Myles, former Teagasc education specialist, who chaired the judging panel.

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