Chewing the cud with… Kevin Dunne

Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our June newsletter, we’re talking to Kevin Dunne, Digital Manager for Ingredients

Kevin, originally from Wexford and now residing in Carlow with his wife, Emma, and two kids, Rían (6) and Éabha (4). He enjoys playing golf, going to the gym, and watching rugby in his spare time. He began his career through a graduate program at O2 Ireland, where he gained valuable experience in customer care, marketing, and HR. His journey led him to Audi Ireland as a Digital Manager, where he contributed to digital projects in collaboration with AUDI AG.

In 2019, Kevin joined Tirlán as a Digital Manager for Ingredients and played a pivotal role in Project Engage (C4C), a digital transformation initiative aimed at enhancing customer engagement and streamlining business processes.

C4C is a customer engagement platform and a key strategic plan enabler, helping the Commercial Ingredients team to grow value-add across both dairy and plant-based portfolios while optimising the core ingredient offering. The platform’s innovative features have shifted the focus from traditional to digital channels, providing comprehensive data for decision-making through reporting dashboards and analytics.

More recently, Kevin has taken on the role of Business Owner for Project Phoenix, Ingredients’ order fulfilment project, which involves working cross functionally with Customer Service, Logistics and Planning, and Finance.
Kevin’s expertise also extends to Account Based Marketing (ABM), a strategy that targets specific accounts for business engagement. Utilising Web Insights, Kevin and the Commercial team can identify businesses visiting the Ingredients website, gather insights on employee roles and interests, and develop personalised messaging for direct communication. This strategy was successfully implemented for the launch of Promiko WPI and has been extended to other categories, demonstrating its influence on the new business development pipeline.

A key aspect of Kevin’s work is the emphasis on collaboration and efficiency. The C4C project was a testament to the ‘Collaborate for Success’ ethos, involving a cross-functional team of 54 key personnel from across the business who were involved in the development phase, which was managed by the core project team which included Hannah Galligan and Carol Power, and underpinned by great support from Aoife Murphy and Ann Meaney.

The project’s success hinged on having the right team, a strong change management program, and a cultural shift to embrace new ways of working.

Looking ahead, Kevin envisions a transformative future for B2B digital marketing, driven by advancements in AI technologies such as Generative AI and Large Language Models. These innovations promise to enhance content creation, personalisation, trend analysis, and customer service, marking a new era in digital marketing’s evolution.

Throughout his career, Kevin has demonstrated a commitment to innovation, customer engagement, and strategic marketing. His contributions have not only shaped Tirlán’s digital landscape but also set the stage for the company’s continued growth and success in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.