The Department of Agriculture is expected to appoint Murphy and Woulfe next week to the positions read more hereadvertised in February.

Louth woman Cliona Murphy will bring 17 years of experience in food research and development at PepsiCo, the second-largest food and drink company in the world. She returned to Ireland last year after a six-year Asian stint in China and Thailand.

Murphy describes herself as follows on her LinkedIn profile:a "strategic, achievement-driven, consumer-oriented senior R&D executive with proven track record of innovation delivery and R&D leadership in snacks, nutritious foods and beverages across developed and developing markets". She also speaks Mandarin, French and German - a positive when dealing in foreign markets.

The Dealer hears the Teagasc Authority was eager to incorporate fresh skills from the food industry.

Freshgrass for Teagasc

Limerck man Liam Woulfe is the managing director of Grassland Agro, the fertiliser business he acquired in 2002 through the Freshgrass Group in which he is a founding partner.

His broad-range management experience is tipped to earn him the lead on the audit committee.

Liam Woulfe's brother Jim is the chief executive of Dairygold.

Murphy and Woulfe will fill the seats left vacant in recent months when retired Teagasc executive Tom Collins's term ended in January and Tom Tynan joined Phil Hogan's cabinet in Brussels last November.