The first meeting of the Board of Glanbia Co-op, following the completion of the purchase of Glanbia Ireland, was held on April 4th. The Board marked the historic occasion by holding the meeting in our soon-to-be Kilkenny Office in Abbey Quarter, adjacent to the medieval St Francis Abbey in the heart of Kilkenny city.

On April 1st, Glanbia Ireland officially separated from Glanbia plc, commencing a new era as a wholly owned Co-operative. This significant milestone brings the business and its owners closer together behind a shared ambition to become a leading co-operative in Europe.

The Co-op’s purchase of Glanbia Ireland creates a truly connected community as GI employees, Co-op employees and farm families all become part of one unified team. Reflecting on these newfound connections, Overherd at Glanbia Ireland wanted to get the thoughts of colleagues who through, both work and family history, have roots that run deep in our new organisation.

Aoife Murphy
Aoife Murphy is the Commercial Director of Ingredients at Glanbia Ireland. Working with the commercial team she manages a €900 million business, selling and marketing milk powders while maintaining GI’s relationships with its larger customers.

Aoife, whose father Billy Murphy served as the Director of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland, describes herself as “a child of Glanbia”. After graduating from UCD and the Smurfit Business School, she worked with the Kerry Group before joining Glanbia in 2009 as a Business Development Manager, developing marketing opportunities for milk protein.

The significant contribution she made to commercial teams on the progression of milk and whey protein products led to her appointment as Commercial Director of Ingredients in 2018.

Throughout her tenure at Glanbia, Aoife has seen many aspects of the company develop and change. “When I first joined the commercial team in 2009, it had less than 10 members, all of whom were based in Ireland. Today, the commercial team has more than 50 members, based in offices in all four corners of the globe.”

She has been part of the company’s pioneering developments in the areas of clinical and infant nutrition. “These more specialised products have allowed Glanbia to access a much wider customer base and attract a huge wealth of expertise into the business,” she said.

Aoife’s excitement around the prospects for the new organisation is palpable. “I believe that having a single ownership structure with a clear purpose and vision will be a great platform for growth,” she said.

Looking to the future, Aoife is confident the company can adapt its dairy expertise to respond to the growing demand for plant-based alternatives. Her team is currently looking into new technologies to support the development of products such as oat milk and vegan cheese.

Aoife believes Glanbia’s Millennial and Gen X customer base appreciate the company’s co-op ethos. “The company stands firmly behind the family farm championing the concept of regenerative agriculture over that of large factory farms. This ethos resonates deeply with Glanbia’s customer and consumer bases. This can help in the development of Glanbia’s branding as our focus on people is the driving force behind the making of the brand.”

Orla Glascott
Orla Glascott is the Team Lead in shares administration dealing with the share register for the Co-op. She joined the organisation in 1990. “I started in the dairy division at Bridge House in Dungarvan. After the merger between Waterford and Avonmore, I applied for a job in the shares’ office when the share registers of Avonmore and Waterford were being amalgamated,” Orla recalls. “It was a very busy time, but I knew it was the kind of work I would like.” Twenty-four years later, she still loves her job.

Shares administration is located in Dungarvan. The shares team led by Orla ensures the Co-op membership register is up to date. “We deal with administration and communication in relation to the management of the Glanbia Co-op society register for shareholders and their representatives. We’re also in regular contact with multiple departments within the organisation,” Orla explains.

This work is essential for the proper and smooth running of the organisation, particularly in relation to voting rights, decision making at AGMs, SGMs and membership of the Co-op committee structure.
Orla is ready for the organisational change that lies ahead. “I have been through many changes in the organisation, from Waterford to AWG to Glanbia, and I haven’t had a negative experience with any of them,” she said.

It is important to Orla that the new entity has a strong connection with the established tradition. “Glanbia is a very strong brand and I’m sure the farmers and our customers will want some link to the future identity for our business. Recognition is important.

“But I am positive about it. The company has a proven track record of being progressive and reacting quickly to challenges. It demonstrated how resilient and how strong it was in the face of the pandemic, it adapted quickly and met any challenges it encountered.”

“The future is bright,” Orla believes, “and anything is possible if the work is put in and the circumstances are right.

Shane Fitzgerald
Shane Fitzgerald is milking 450 cows on 233ha of owned and rented land at Ballynoe in East Cork.

Shane chose farming as a career after completing the Leaving Cert in 1996. “However, my father encouraged me to travel. I did a farm placement in Holland in 1998, I played hurling in the US and spent a few months in Australia in 2002 before taking over the farm in 2008. I travelled to Qatar, Australia, India and Ukraine on a Nuffield Scholarship in 2012,” he said.

The farm has expanded rapidly in the last decade and Shane now operates under a company structure in partnership with his uncle, who owns the original Fitzgerald farm nearby.

Maintaining good work-life balance is very important for him. “Fiona and I have four children under eight and in order to have family time, you need to hire the right number of workers at the busiest times of the year,” he said. “I think the secret is to make sure no-one is over worked, and everyone is properly rewarded.” Shane has three workers, along with his father, working with him.

As a regional advisory committee member and a member of the Glanbia Co-op Council for six years, Shane thinks Glanbia did a great job in positioning itself to take full advantage of the dairy expansion after quotas were lifted. “I don’t think any co-op in the world grew at the rate [Glanbia] grew. It was all well planned and has left us with quality plant and an infrastructure that will stand us well into the future,” he said.

He thinks the new organisation will provide an opportunity to build greater trust and a stronger relationship with suppliers. “There is an uneasy relationship between the suppliers and the Co-op,” Shane said. “This is caused, mainly, by the friction that can arise over milk prices.”

He added: “I think it is time to simplify all these bonus and reward schemes.” He believes this will build trust and remove stress.”

Shane is excited at the prospects for the new organisation. “It is an opportunity to be a farmer-owned and farmer-centric co-op with a commitment to diversifying and becoming environmentally sustainable,” he said.