Horgan, who graduated from UCD with an agricultural science degree in 1973, was acknowledged by UCD as being a “leader in meat excellence”.

Horgan hails from Nobber in Co Meath and has been with Kepak since the early 1980s. He took over as managing director of the company following the death of the Kepak founder Noel Keating.

Kepak operates three divisions – its meat red meat and processing division as well as Agra Trading and its convenience food division. The company has approximately 2,000 employees with an estimated annual turnover of €850m.

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Other notable members of the UCD alumni award this year include former Meath footballer Colm O’Rourke, Dr Anne Merriman, who is a 2014 Noble Peace Prize nominee for her work in the hospice movement, HE Anne Anderson who is currently the 17th Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, and Martin Fraser, who is the current secretary general of the Department of An Taoiseach.

Commenting on the 2016 alumni award winners, Nicole Black, director of alumni development, said: “Every year the UCD alumni awards celebrate our notable graduates who represent the characteristics and values that this university instils into its students: integrity, excellence, collegiality, engagement and diversity. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”

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