Former Bord Bia boss to head up ABP’s Slaney venture

Former Bord Bia boss Aidan Cotter has been appointed to head up the joint venture between Larry Goodman's ABP and Fane Valley group, which took control of Wexford-based Slaney Foods last year.

The multimillion-euro deal, which was given the regulatory green light late last year, gives ABP control of more than a quarter of the beef trade here.

ABP described the joint venture as a 50-50 partnership between ABP and Fane Valley, which included the Slaney Foods international beef business and the sheep meat specialist, Irish Country Meats (ICM).

Mr Cotter served as chief executive of Bord Bia from 2004 until 2017, a period of that coincided with pronounced growth in Irish food and drink exports.

Kerry Group may target major acquisition says Deutsche

---

Things go from bad to worse as Aryzta fast-tracks departures

---

Aryzta half-year earnings fall 31% to €158m

---

Nestlé to reduce sugar content in chocolate bars by 10%

---

Last year food and drink exports recorded their seventh successive year of growth to exceed €11 billion for the first time, reaching 180 markets around the world.

"During his tenure as chief executive, he led the creation and roll-out of Origin Green, the world's first national sustainability programme for food and drink, and oversaw the establishment of Bord Bia's Consumer Insight Centre and the extension of its office network eastwards, opening new offices in Warsaw, Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore, " ABP said.

“ Bord Bia was ranked by 5,000 members of the general public, in the RepTrak 2016 study, as the most reputable organisation in the country, it added.