Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee. For our November newsletter, we’re talking to Business Development Manager Tommy Maher

In this edition of Chewing the Cud, we are excited to feature Tommy Maher, a Business Development Manager for Oat Ingredients, focusing on the European region. Tommy’s journey with us began in May 2022.

Tommy grew up on a dairy farm in Loughmore, Co Tipperary, where he developed a strong interest in the agriculture and food sectors. He pursued his passion by studying Agricultural Science at University College Dublin (UCD) and later completed a Master’s in Food Business and Technology at Technological University Dublin (TUD).

Before joining Tirlán, Tommy worked with two dairy companies. His career started with Ornua, where he was mostly based in Manchester with their dairy powder blending business, Ornua Nutrition. He then moved on to Glenstal Foods, focusing on dairy commodities sales into export markets like South East Asia. These experiences have equipped Tommy with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the dairy industry.

At Tirlán, Tommy serves as a Business Development Manager for Oat Ingredients, focusing on the European region. His role involves selling the applications of Tirlán oat ingredients, which are used in traditional products such as porridge, cereals, and bakery items, as well as in non-dairy applications like beverages, yogurt, and ice cream. These non-dairy applications are experiencing significant growth, and Tommy is excited for the future of Oat Ingredients at Tirlán.

Tommy says: “The most enjoyable part of my job is getting to grow relationships with new customers. The plant-based market is experiencing major growth at the moment and oat ingredients are one of the highest used grains in this market.”

He believes customer experience and engagement are key to winning in this space. “Bringing customers to the Portlaoise Oatmill, Abbey Quarter Customer Experience Centre and the Ballyragget Innovation Centre is key to collaborating and innovating with our customers.

“Customers always leave the Oatmill with the confidence that Tirlán oat ingredients are produced to the highest quality. Visits to the Innovation Centre or Customer Experience Centre in Abbey Quarter allow us to showcase our ingredients in application, which will provoke new ideas or allow us to have deeper conversations about our customers’ needs and how we can meet them. In short, the impact from customer visits is many times larger than online or Teams meetings and is vital for growth with customers.”

Attending tradeshows has been another highlight for Tommy in his career to date at Tirlán. “Tradeshows are a great place to meet current customers and build rapport, which is easier to do in person. They are also important for prospecting customers and building your opportunity pipeline, while also building your knowledge of the market, whether that is innovations, trends, or competitors.”

Outside of work, Tommy has a big interest in sports and is involved with his local GAA club, Loughmore-Castleiney. “We have had a great year this year, winning the Tipperary Senior Championship in both Hurling and Football. I also help out with coaching the underage teams when I can.

Tommy looks forward to plant-based continuing to grow. “The plant-based market has seen impressive growth over the past few years, which makes it a hugely exciting industry to be involved in. That doesn’t mean the market hasn’t seen some challenges, with Oatly and other large manufacturers experiencing some challenges in recent years, but overall the plant-based trend is here to stay and will continue to grow.”