Kepak Group announced the appointment of Brian Farrell as its new CEO of Kepak Foods Division. The appointment takes place with immediate effect.

Prior to joining Kepak, Farrell held senior positions at Glanbia plc, where he most recently was chief product and development officer at Glanbia Nutritionals. Farrell is a qualified accountant who completed his training at KPMG, and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Kepak CEO Simon Walker, who himself was CEO of Kepak Foods Division before taking his current role in 2020, said: “Brian is a leader with a proven track record in managing businesses for growth and driving acquisitive development.”

The nod towards Farrell’s acquisition skills is an interesting one for Kepak – a company who have done little in the line of takeovers since re-entering the UK market in 2018 with the purchase of the 2 Sisters Red Meat business.

Kepak says it has a turnover of €1.8bn and employs over 4,500 people. As well as its manufacturing sites in Ireland and the UK, it also has sales offices in Europe, the US and Asia.