Careers: Maximising the food chain

From a farm that has flourished since the late 1800s to a business that has grown and developed, Keelings has become Ireland’s market leader in fruit and vegetables.

Now employing 2,000 people across the four divisions of the business, the company has innovated and evolved since its origins in the 1930s to its present day form under the leadership of its CEO, Caroline Keeling.

The career path

Just because Keeling shares her last name with the company didn’t dictate the career direction she took. She has taken on numerous roles in the company since 1994, having worked her way up in the business before becoming managing director in 2006 (combined with CEO in 2012), a far cry from doing odd jobs in the office when she was in her teens.

“We would have worked in the company as kids, picking fruit and jobs like that. In my mid-teens I went into the office covering for people on holidays,” she reminisced.

The decision on her future in the company came in 1994. After completing a master’s degree in food science in UCD she worked in Green Isle where she was offered a promotion.

“When I was offered the new job in Green Isle, I went home to tell my family and to make a decision. When I told dad he offered me a job in the company.”

The role she was offered in Keelings was that of technical manager, focusing on improving the quality of the systems and the quality of the product. The role took her to the UK, working under her older brother, William.

“I spent my first four years in the UK helping build the business out there. I suppose it made me realise that I loved working for the company, the fast pace of it all. It was a successful four years, the UK business grew and turnover increased fourfold over that time,” she explained.

In 1998, the call for Caroline to return home to Dublin was made and by 2002 she had found herself taking up the role of managing director of the Irish retailing side of the business, filling the void in the ever-changing industry the business was finding itself in.

“There were many structural changes going on in the background and we had to change certain operations in Ireland. When I started this role in 2002 there were areas I had no idea about, but it was a fantastic opportunity and over the four years we grew the business further,” she explained.

The stage was now set for Caroline to replace her father as managing director of Keelings.

What the company has become

Caroline became the MD of her family business in 2006, taking over from her father, Joseph, who remained on as CEO. Approaching 2019, the company has seen further development under her watch.

What she leads today is one of Ireland’s most advanced agri food businesses. Based in north Dublin, the company farms 600 acres including 10ha of new glasshouses as well as numerous polytunnels and old glasshouses. They grow €35m worth of Irish cherries, strawberries, raspberries and apples each year as well as selling bananas, pineapples, melons and various vegetables.

We tend to hire people based on our values of teamwork, integrity and passion for achievement. We can only deliver as a team, so teamwork and those who can work in teams is vital for us

In recent times, expansion into foreign markets has meant investing in agricultural land outside of Ireland. Keelings now have joint ventures in Costa Rica producing melons and with producers in Brazil. In total, it farms around 400ha (almost 1,000ac) outside of Ireland.

The market Keelings operate in has expanded since Caroline took over from her father. The four divisions of the business, including Irish retail, the Select division, its international market and solutions (the side of the company that licences software solutions to others companies) have all but held their own or flourished. Internationally, Keelings has a solid base in Europe and now exports to Hong Kong. The last 14 years have proven challenging but successful.

Becoming an MD and developing skill sets

For the woman at the helm, how did she find the transition from a foot solider to now heading the company?

“I was excited when I was asked to become MD, simply because I had a clear vision for the company. There were a lot of challenges and I definitely had to improve and develop my skillset. I have coaches to help develop my skills on how to lead high-performing teams and individuals so that they are effective,” she explained.

“I have gone on development courses in the past in Harvard, London Business and in the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland, spending a week here and there learning about various theories and expanding your knowledge to ensure Keelings is constantly moving forward.”

Advice to career starters

Caroline became both CEO and MD of the business in 2012, 21 years after she left UCD. But for those entering the agri food industry, what advice does she have to offer?

“From when you start your career, it will constantly change. Build up your skillset, but be aware that it will rapidly change over the course of your career.

“Do I have regrets myself? I tend to look forward. I’m sure there are things I could have done better. I could probably put my foot in it less,” she laughs.

“I am proud of the team we have. This gives me the most confidence going forward.”

The plan is to continue to innovate and evolve. If the previous 80 years are anything to go by, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Caroline Keeling is one of our speakers at the Agri Careers Expo on 14 February in the RDS. She will be speaking as part of the ‘Taking back the Value Chain’ panel. This panel will discuss how companies across the industry can maximise the value of their farm by maximising their share in the food chain.