People profiles

President – Mr Bertie O’Leary

Bertie O’Leary is from Ballyvourney, west of Macroom, Co. Cork.  A dairy farmer who has served on the Dairygold board since 2005,  he has served as a Dairygold representative for over 20 years.

He was appointed Chairman of Dairygold in January 2012.  Mr. O’Leary was most recently Vice-President of ICOS and Chairman of the ICOS Dairy Committee.  He is also the current chairman of the Irish Milk Quality Co-operative Society.  He is a Dairygold nominee director on the Board of Reox Holdings plc and served as Vice Chairman of Dairygold in 2009 and 2010.

Vice President – Mr Martin Keane

Martin Keane is Vice-Chairman of Glanbia Co-operative Society and is also Vice Chairman of Glanbia plc.

He farms at Errill, Portlaoise, Co. Laois and has completed the ICOS Co-operative Leadership Programme.  He was appointed to the Board of Glanbia plc in 2006 and has served six full years on the Board to date. Mr. Keane is a member of the Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee of Glanbia plc.

He is a former director of Co-operative Animal Health Limited. He is also a director of ICS Europaks and is the current Chairman of Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum Co-operative Society.

Chief Executive Officer – Mr. Seamus O’Donohoe

Seamus O’Donohoe was appointed CEO of ICOS in 2012.

He holds a Master of Agricultural Science degree in Agricultural Economics [UDD] and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from University College Dublin’s Smurfit Business School.

Having served two years in a voluntary capacity working on an agricultural project with the Columban Fathers in South Korea, he then worked as an agricultural adviser with County Galway Committee of Agriculture for five years, joining ICOS as part of it’s Member Development staff in 1980. Since then he has held the positions of Director of Member Development and Secretary within ICOS.

He is a member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC).