Horseleap native appointed as Ornua chief executive

A Horseleap native has been appointed as the chief executive of one of Ireland's largest dairy co-operatives.

Conor Galvin, a native of Ardnurcher, Horseleap, is currently chief executive of Dairygold Co-operative Society, and will take up his new role at Ornua in May.

He is son of Margaret and the late Larry Galvin.

A former student at Carmelite College in Moate, Conor has two siblings, Michael and Vincent.

Conor joined Dairygold in 2014 and has held a number of roles in its senior leadership team before becoming chief executive in January 2022.

Prior to joining Dairygold, he was finance director with DCC’s Food and Beverage division, and he was also country finance manager with Procter & Gamble in Ireland.

Conor is a science graduate from University College Dublin, and holds an MBA from the Smurfit Business School.

He is also a qualified accountant.

Aidan O’Driscoll, Ornua Co-operative chair, said: “I am delighted that Conor Galvin will be the new chief executive of Ornua and will lead the group as it continues to deliver value for its member co-operatives and the 14,000 dairy farming families that supply them.

“His appointment follows a comprehensive selection process led by a board subcommittee.

“Conor has a deep knowledge of the dairy sector and has extensive senior executive experience.

“He is deeply committed to the co-operative nature of the dairy business and has a strong focus on working in close partnership with key stakeholders.

“My fellow board directors and I look forward to working with Conor as Ornua continues its journey of delivering long-term sustainable growth,” O’Driscoll added.

Conor Galvin said: “I am honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to lead Ornua into the future.

For decades, Ornua has delivered significant value for Irish dairy families through the strong connection that it creates between farmers and consumers.

“I will encourage collaboration at all levels within the industry to positively address the challenges that face the sector in the years ahead. Ornua has demonstrated a long-term vision of growth and investment, and I look forward to leading the next phase of that development.”

“While I look forward to the future, I am also deeply grateful to Dairygold for the opportunity to lead such a respected organisation.”

St Joseph's GAA club wished Conor well in his new role, saying: “As a club member, Conor was a county Scór winner in multiple disciplines some years ago and the club wishes him continued success.”

Ornua is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products and has annualised sales of over €3.4 billion. Headquartered in Dublin, Ornua has a strong global team of 3,000 employees, operating from 10 business units worldwide, including 16 production facilities.

Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold, as well as Kerrygold Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Forto and BEO milk powders.