Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our October newsletter, we’re talking to Ann-Marie Drennan

Fertiliser Transport Planner Ann-Marie Drennan absolutely thrives on hitting the ground running in any role or with any task. Her characteristics made her the ideal candidate to fill such a demanding role at such a challenging time.

“I’m only in this role since mid-August. My job is to get fertiliser from the producer to the farmers. Fertiliser is in such demand and supply has been so tight that it was definitely sink or swim for me over the past few weeks. However, coming from a farming background really helped me understand it that little bit more.

“Thankfully, we’ve kept everything afloat. I don’t really believe in any roadblocks. Diversions maybe, but not roadblocks. There is a solution to everything in life. It sometimes just takes an outsider looking in to see it.

“The past weeks have been challenging but I expect things to wind down until January, which will allow us to prepare for the challenges that 2023 will bring, while also getting an understanding for how feed transport is coordinated. The focus over this time is to understand the processes involved and implement any changes that can help along the way for the 2023 season.

“I started working in Glanbia in the HR department by supporting the Graduate Programme in recruiting. I then branched out into other contracts from Warehousing/IT/Treasury, but eventually decided that Logistics was the function I wanted to focus on.

“I applied for a role within the Exports function. This role involved exporting butter to the EU and rest of the world, along with managing the TGF shipments to the USA and taking on any projects and challenges along the way.

“From Johnstown Co Kilkenny, having Ballyragget as a base office was ideal as I only lived across the road. However, during Covid and working from home, you would miss the social interaction with work colleagues. It’s great to be back in a collaborative office, particularly in the new Abbey Quarter office based in the heart of Kilkenny city where you can work together in person. I find Logistics a very sociable place to work in.

“It’s not all work. I come from a farming background, so there is always something to be done. From feeding calves in the spring to silage in the summer, I tend to retire from the farm in winter, so it’s only part time really and at that I wouldn’t even call it work.

“The work life balance is key to anyone that works in Tirlán. For the last three years, I was working full time and studying part time. I finished my degree in May. This taught me to utilise my time efficiently, which helps me finish my work on time. I can now switch off for the evenings and be ready for what the next day will bring.”

Ann-Marie likes to travel, be it hopping on a flight for a few days in the sun or even sightseeing around Ireland. “The flexibility of being able to travel again is fantastic. Although my job is demanding, my hope for the near future is that we continue to improve our transport planning by implementing the ORTEC system. That will give us clear visibility of the fertiliser from time of purchase to the end customer.

“I am looking forward to the company changing over the next few months and excited to see what opportunities arise for Tirlán. We’re always looking ahead in transport, building up and planning for the months ahead to help Tirlán farm families have fertiliser where and when they need it next year.”