Irish dairy cooperative Dairygold has announced plans to replace its chief executive Jerry Hench.

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In an announcement yesterday (28 January), the Dairygold board said that it would no longer use an arrangement under which Reox Holdings CEO Henchy filled both roles.


Hench, who was appointed chief executive at Dairygold in 2003, has held the dual role since the company demerged its consumer foods, property and DIY businesses into Reox Holdings in 2006.


“The society has been availing of the services of Jerry Henchy, chief executive of Reox Holdings, in the role of chief executive of the society. The board of Dairygold believes that the time is now right for a change in this arrangement and for the society to have its own full-time chief executive,” the board said in a statement.


A spokesperson for the cooperative told just-food that it was felt that this would improve the company’s ability to deal with the challenging economic conditions it is currently facing.

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“The Dairygold board felt that having a CEO that was focused solely on the cooperative’s interests will better position Dairygold to deal with current industry-wide difficulties,” the spokesperson said.


Dairygold has begun the search for a new CEO. In the meantime, Michael Harte, Dairygold’s chief financial officer, has been appointed acting chief executive.

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