Denis Cregan has been appointed the chair of Ornua, following the resignation of Aaron Forde at a board meeting on Tuesday.

Forde resigns after six years at the helm and has recommended the appointment of an independent director to oversee the board while it is reviewing its governance structures.

Cregan joined the board of Ornua in 2015 as an independent, non-executive director. He is chair of Kerry Airport, a former director of Tourism Ireland and a former director of Kerry Group plc.

He worked in various management roles in Kerry Group plc over a 30-year period, including deputy chief executive and chief executive of Kerry’s Ingredients Division.