Ones to Watch - Meet One of Tirlán's Emerging Leaders
Ones to Watch - Meet One of Tirlán's Emerging Leaders
For participants, the Emerging Leaders programme helped bring Tirlán’s Values to life
Above: Cian Moloney, Advanced Analytical Manager, Tírlán
In January 2024, the Capstone event for Tirlán’s Emerging Leader programme took place in the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny. Designed to accelerate development and growth, encapsulating our Values along with our coaching behaviours, the Emerging Leader programme consisted of three two-day modules, complimented with one-on-one coaching with a professional coach. Cian Moloney, Advanced Analytical Manager at Tirlán, took part in the event, where programme participants teamed up to bring Tirlán’s Values to life.
“The Emerging Leader programme aims to give people the tools and skills they need to become leaders in the business. Modules were very much in keeping with our four key Values and demonstrated to us how we can lead in a way that promotes the Values,” said Cian.
The programme encouraged participants to think about the ways in which they approach tasks. “It led us to question ourselves, how we might approach certain situations and perhaps have a greater appreciation of the bigger picture and what’s really important. I think one of the biggest lessons for me is that you can’t control everything but that you can probably have more of an impact than you might think.”
The progamme also presented Cian with an opportunity to learn from the other participants. “The group came from right across Tirlán and it was an ideal opportunity to learn from others with different experiences. It was a great group and it was so interesting to see how others handle different situations. Everyone ended up learning from each other. It was a lot of fun too.”
Speak less and listen more was another key learning from the course. “I think people naturally tend to jump in to say they know the answer or volunteer information. For me, one of the biggest lessons from the course was that if you speak less, you’ll learn more and get a deeper understanding of things.” At the end of the programme, the group was spilt up into four sub-groups and each assigned one of Tirlán’s Values. Each group was tasked with delivering a presentation to senior leaders at Tirlán on how their Value was embedded into the business. “We had to communicate what the Value really means and what we can do every day to ingrain it into our working life. It was great working with Emma, Joanne and Steve and on the day it was a bit nerve-wracking, but it went well! It was a great exercise to really make you think. We have these four core Values that we see all the time, but I’m not sure we stop often enough to think about what they really mean, or what we can do to really embody the Values. The presentations were a great way to bring them to life.”
Getting to Know Seán Molloy
Getting to Know Seán Molloy
Seán Molloy, Tirlán’s CEO Designate, answers the questions on everyone’s minds
Above: Seán Molloy, CEO, Tírlán
Tell us a little about yourself Seán
Along with my wife Fiona and our three children, Katie (17), Jack (15) and Andy (11), I live on our family farm in Co Offaly. My wife and I are both natives of Co Offaly where we returned to live when I started working for what was then Glanbia Plc – having worked and studied in Dublin for the previous 20 years. Growing up on a dairy farm, I have always had a great interest in farming and agriculture, an interest which to a large extent attracted me to working in the dairy industry.
What does it mean to you personally to be Tirlán’s next CEO?
Given its heritage, the calibre and dedication of the people who work for it, the passion of its members and its industry leadership position, Tirlán is an extraordinary organisation. To have the privilege to take on the role of CEO at Tirlán is both deeply humbling and a great honour. This honour is all the more significant given that I am following in the footsteps of Jim Bergin who over a career stretching back 40 years has brought Tirlán to where it is today – an internationally leading Co-op, highly invested and brimming with ambition for its members and employees.
What can employees expect over the coming months as you transition into the new role?
Over the coming months I will be working alongside Jim Bergin and my ELT colleagues to transition into my new role. As Jim is not departing until the late summer, there is a good time period for this transition to take place. In the interim, I will also be focused on continuing with the responsibilities associated with my existing role.
Have you considered what your key priorities will be when you take up the CEO position later in the year?
From a strategy standpoint my approach will be to ‘ensure continuity’, to build on the enormous strengths that this business has established over the years under the stewardship of Jim Bergin and my ELT colleagues.
In an ever changing world, I will also be mindful to ensure the business is positioned to navigate the next chapter of its development. The strategic deployment of our investment funds, an increasing focus on value creation and an ongoing determination to ensure the centrality of our customers to our business strategy will all be critical to our future success.
Along with my ELT colleagues, my focus will also be on continuing to build on the culture of coaching that is the hallmark of Tirlán, to foster the development of our people, to deliver on our D&I and sustainability agenda and to ensure meaningful and rewarding carers for Tirlán’s employees. This focus will ensure Tirlán continues to be a beacon that attracts and retains the very best people in every part of our business. This endeavour will also require us to continue to have the courage to address the hard questions and to make the hard decisions to ensure the long-term prosperity of our Co-op.
My approach will be to continue as a Co-op to put our farm families at the very heart of our organisation’s ambition – striving to develop ‘Our Co-op of the Future’, uniting employees and farmers alike in what is a noble cause.
If there was one thing you were most excited about/looking forward to what would that be?
I have always drawn great energy from engaging with people. In that regard, I am looking forward to interacting with and further getting to know my colleagues throughout the business and indeed with our Co-op members and getting feedback on the ambition we all have for the future of Tirlán.
Tell us one thing about yourself that might surprise people?
I first applied for a job with what was then Avonmore some 30 years ago – and got turned down! At the time the interviewer (who shall remain nameless!) told me during the interview that ‘the job would not suit me’ and I would be ‘better suited to a career in journalism’!
Making an impact
Making an impact
Tirlán gives back to local communities with €116,000 raised for charity throughout 2023
Tirlán and its employees raised over €116,000 for worthy causes across 2023, funding which is already having a positive impact in communities across the south-east, midlands and north-east.
Tirlán is also proud to directly support our communities through donations of funding and product via our branches and facilities where we have active fundraising and engagement networks.
Through the Tour de Tirlán cycle and the Two Peaks charity climb, over 140 employees raised funds which were shared among the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, the Father McGrath Centre in Kilkenny and Amber Women’s Refuge.
A fundraising committee, including employees, selected the charities and elected that Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation should be the lead partner charity for 2023, receiving over €72,000. This has allowed the charity to help fund up to 4,000 specialist hours of home nursing care for 400 children and their families.
The funding also allows Jack and Jill to provide a high quality, agile and efficient care service for extra special children with highly complex medical conditions and end of life care at home with their families, Deirdre Walsh, Incoming Interim CEO said.
“We look after families in every community in Ireland. What we do is provide in-home nursing care and respite care to children who are born with or develop neurological developmental delay associated with cognitive delay. We also look after children through our end of life care service. We give families the gift of time. Time for them to look after their children and do the normal things we take for granted. Demand for our service continues to grow. We have gone from looking after children up to the age of four to up to the age of six, so we now have 400 children nationwide.”
Accepting their donation, Steve Murphy, CEO, Fr McGrath Centre, said: “€22,000 is a lot of money and we can do so much with it. With a corporate donation like this we will build resources that will be there for generations to come,” he said.
Lisa Morris, Manager at Amber Trust, said: “For a local, under-funded service like ours, €22,000 is a huge amount and it will go directly into supporting women and children experiencing domestic violence in Kilkenny and Carlow. It will help provide refuge accommodation, our 24 hour helpline, outreach service, court accompaniment service, play therapy, awareness programmes in the community and more.”
The Tirlán team also provided significant support to the Cois Nore cancer support service in Kilkenny, with both marketing, social awareness and a direct financial contribution of €5,000 provided.
Over the past year, Tirlán was also proud to provide a direct financial contribution of €5,000 to the Riding for the Disabled and assist the charitable organisation with highlighting their nationwide volunteer programme.
Throughout 2023, Tirlán also provided significant financial commitment to agricultural shows and food festivals, such as Savour Kilkenny and the West Waterford Festival of Food.
Presenting the charities with their cheques, Jim O’Neill, Chief Operating & Consumer Officer, paid tribute to his colleagues across Tirlán. “Great credit goes to all of our colleagues who organised all of these events. Many of them were three months in the planning. I know our chosen charities will put this money to very good use. We’re already looking forward to next year’s fundraisers.”
Recognising our Tirlán Trailblazers
Lisa Stewart accepts the overall team award on behalf of the Consumer International Team for UHT
Recognising our Tirlán Trailblazers
The recent Trailblazer Awards celebrate colleagues that personify what living our values means
Recognition is a key part of the Tirlán culture and a simple “well done” and “thank you” can have such a positive impact on people’s lives, Mick O’Leary, Chief People, D&I & Org Development Officer said as he addressed the recent Trailblazer Awards.
The annual Awards celebrate colleagues across the business who were nominated as role models for our four values. We were joined in person by more than 200 people in Abbey Quarter and almost 300 colleagues online to share in the celebration.
Out of more than 120 nominations, nine individual awards were made along with one Team award under Collaborate for Success. Those recognised provide true insight into what living our values means and their stories help us better understand how we can live our values through our own behaviours.
Our values provide clarity for the type of behaviours we aspire to in Tirlán. It’s these behaviours which set the tone and shape a positive workplace culture for all our people. To help us understand what good looks like and how we can individually bring our values to life, we invited employees to nominate individuals or teams across Tirlán you consider to be role models or ambassadors for any one or more of our values.
Among the winners in the value categories were:
- Adapt to Grow recipients Alan Gilliland, Quality Coordinator at Lough Agish and Michael Ryan, Senior Business Manager with the Agri Ruminant Team
- Celebrate Individuality recipients Anne Byrne, Purchasing Administrator with the Procurement team; Ming Lim, Team Lead at the Whey Plant in Balllyragget and Tom Fanning, Training Co-ordinator at Belview
- Collaborate for Success award recipients Frances Holohan, Branch Administrator for Castlecomer, Freshford and Crettyard and Kevin Dunne, Digital Marketing Manager in Abbey Quarter
- Empower & Grow winners Claire Clancy, Process Excellence Specialist at Ballyragget and Connie Murphy, Reporting and Optimisation Analyst with the logistics team in Abbey Quarter.
The overall Team Award went to the Consumer International Team for UHT, represented by Lisa Stewart.
Congratulating all of those nominated and the winners, Jim Bergin, CEO said: “To have so many colleagues nominated and then recognised for these awards is incredible. We have had a very difficult year but we are exiting the year in really good condition. That is down to all the Trailblazers and the work that our full community of 2,300 people do on a day to day basis,” he said.
If you didn’t get a chance to join us, you can watch the recording to hear more.
Chewing the cud with… Eimear O’Connell
Chewing the cud with… Eimear O’Connell
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our January newsletter, we’re talking to Singapore-based Eimear O’Connell
Account Executive for South East Asia, Eimear O’Connell is looking forward to a busy 2024.
The Singapore-based Kildare native moved to Tirlán from Bord Bia just over a year ago and her diverse role sees her involved in everything from managing customer relationships, liaising with distributors and planning Avonmore Professional Launch events across South East Asia.
Tirlán was one of her clients when she worked with Bord Bia and when the role was advertised, she jumped at the opportunity. Irish produce is very much in her DNA. Her grandfather was a dairy farmer and her uncle still farms in Clane, Co. Kildare to this day.
“We’re hiring new chefs in 2024 so we’re looking forward to increasing our chef to chef experience with the brand. This helps our launch events gain traction where we will promote the Avonmore professional brand. We showcase the UHT cream mostly, but also our butter and cheddar cheese. These events also give a great opportunity to interact with customers individually and make the selling interaction more personal.
“It’s a very diverse role. Some days it’s more like an account manager position – I’m managing documents and product orders. Another day could involve doing launch events or visiting a HORECA group in their head offices. It’s fantastic and I get to work with people from all over the world and experience their culture and traditions.
“Singapore is very hot and humid, but you get used to it. It’s very safe, very clean and it’s easy to travel anywhere. I’ve been here for the past two and a half years but I also love to get home to Ireland for Christmas and other family events.”
The Clane native was one of many on the Tirlán team who welcomed the Tirlán board to Vietnam in October. “We shared with them what we do in the market and showed them where their product goes. You can walk into a supermarket at home and see the product on the shelves. The foodservice industry is different and the board were really interested in how their product is used here and what we do to promote it, particularly with the work we do with chefs.
“While our colleagues in Ireland are busiest at Christmas, we also get to see the Chinese New Year and the Thai Water Festival for example. 2024 is shaping up to be equally busy and with more chefs, we will be doing more customer visits, more demonstrations, following new leads and translating them into new business.”
And while Eimear relaxed with family and friends over Christmas, when she’s back in Singapore she loves swimming and hiking. “To relax, I love swimming and going to the beach. I recently got my scuba diving license so I can now dive deeper.”
Making the grade
Making the grade
Tirlán has been nominated in three categories at the 2024 Green Awards
It’s awards season and the ESG team wanted to make sure that Tirlán gets recognised for the amazing work that’s happening right across the business on sustainability. We were busy in November applying for the 2024 Green Awards and in December, we were informed that we have been shortlisted for all three of the awards we applied for – The Green Large Organisation of the Year; The Green Food & Beverage Award and The Sustainable Energy Achievement Award. The results will be revealed at a gala ceremony on February 27th.
Our applications detailed the wide-ranging sustainability actions that are taking place across the entire company, in line with our Living Proof Sustainability Strategy, at both our sites and on-farm, and across our consumer, ingredients and agribusiness categories.
Just some of the initiatives recognised in our Green Award applications are:
- Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions on farm, facilitated by programmes such as our bespoke and industry-leading incentivisation programme The Sustainability Action Payment, The Twenty20 Beef Club – a partnership with Kepak on enhancing farm sustainability – and our work with ASSAP to improve water, soil and air quality
- The first of our 52 branches in Castlecomer transitioning to a low carbon operating store
- The ongoing work and achievements around reducing plastic use
- Embracing the circular economy through utilising dairy sludge from our processing sites as organic fertiliser (approved by the organic trust and spread under EPA approval)
- And of course, the fantastic work that takes place in Tirlán relating to community engagement and important fundraising activities.
In conjunction with the FarmGen team, we also got shortlisted for the Sustainable Energy Achievement award which outlined FarmGen, its sustainability benefits and the achievements of the programme to date. FarmGen was launched by Tirlán in 2019 as a renewable energy Solar PV scheme for Tirlán members, delivering carbon and cost savings from sustainable energy generation.
Well done to the FarmGen team who have been receiving some well-deserved recognition of late, having also been successful at the Business Excellence Showcase Awards!
It is a fantastic achievement to have been shortlisted for these three prestigious awards and provides well deserved appreciation for the hard work that takes place behind the scenes in delivering on our Living Proof Sustainability Strategy, implementing our ambitious sustainability projects and living out Tirlán’s Purpose, Vision and Values.
We are looking forward to the continued progress and acceleration of our sustainability journey into 2024!
Prestigious Award for Tirlán
Prestigious Award for Tirlán
Gold at prestigious Fit Out Awards for Tirlán
Mary Banks & Sarah Dixon (Henry J Lyons) pictured receiving their award from Fit Out Judge
Tirlán is celebrating gold in the prestigious Fit Out Awards, scooping the Fit-Out Project of the Year for Medium Office title at this year’s gala event.
Tirlán got a special mention during the presentation as being “one of the most innovative, forward-thinking companies leading the way in the office of the future and one of the first companies in Ireland to successfully deliver on hybrid working”.
Mary Banks, Facilities Manager, project managed the design and fit out for Tirlán and paid tribute to everyone who played their part. “What better way to mark Tirlán’s first anniversary in our Abbey Quarter Kilkenny Collaboration Hub than winning one category outright and being shortlisted in a second category for Fit out Project of the Year – Conservation at the prestigious Fit-Out Awards.
Tirlán Abbey Quarter Team Pictured at the Official Opening earlier this year
“We are delighted to have won and taken home the award for Fit Out Project of the Year, which is one of the top award categories and this year the shortlist included Vodafone and PTSB.
“The Tirlan Collaboration Hub has been warmly received and fully supports our hybrid working model with a strong focus on sustainability and collaboration. We have an average footfall of over 650 to 750 employees using the facility on a weekly basis. Special credit to our Design Team, Project Team and our architects Henry J. Lyons who worked with us on this project.”
The Fit-Out Awards celebrate excellence in the execution of world-class fit outs, and also the people and clients who drive these projects. By providing a showcase to recognise this distinct and unique design and construction industry, the Fit-Out Awards seek to encourage greater investment by corporate and public sector clients; the awards also aim to support the development of key fit-out skills and promote best practice to help the sector grow in the years to come.
Have A Go!
Adapt to Grow – Have A Go!
The meaning behind ‘Adapt to Grow’ has been brought to life through friendly competition
Our 2023 Excellence Showcase in Abbey Quarter allowed us to recognise just how teams around Tirlán are bringing our core value of Adapt to Grow to life through their commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and pursuit of excellence. To coincide with this, we wanted colleagues around the business to have a bit of fun while understanding the meaning behind our value ‘Adapt to Grow’.
Over the last few days, colleagues from around the organisation have been bringing their values ‘A Game’ to life with some friendly competition through our life size Jenga and Connect 4 games. Through games we are reminded that positive outcomes can be achieved through having a go, learning from mistakes and being prepared to seek a path to success that’s not always so obvious!
Check out some of the teams having a go as we Adapt to Grow!
Chewing the cud with… Mick May
Chewing the cud with… Mick May
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our December newsletter, we’re talking to Mick May
Mick May and his colleagues in Ballitore, Co Kildare, will be working non-stop between now and Christmas to meet demand for the extended Avonmore Cream range. And despite the extra pressure, it’s a time of year that the Machine Operator and father of three absolutely loves.
“I’m here 11 years now and from December 4 right up to December 22, it will be non-stop and I’ll either be on the 2pm to 10pm or the 6am to 2pm shift. It’s the first year in my 11 years that I won’t be doing nights. We trained a new guy up for nights.
“It’s busier at this time but we all put our shoulder to the wheel and the banter and the craic continues. And while we’re working with cream every single day, smelling the Baileys, the Brandy, the Salted Caramel this year, I still do manage to enjoy some cream over Christmas.
“I was involved with R&D on the production of the new Salted Caramel cream so I’m definitely looking forward to tasting that over Christmas.
“We’ve a great, tight-knit crew here. We have had a few changes to the team in recent times and the new team members have settled in great and we’re a very close bunch.
“I live in Athy so I’m only 10 minutes away from work. It’s handy because outside of work, I enjoy watching soccer and GAA and I play a bit of golf. I’m playing off 5 and have been for a good while. The secret to keeping my handicap low has been not to play much golf at all!”
The family man says that while some of his colleagues take time off after Christmas, he works through. “We love taking family time during the summer. Our kids are a great age. Mia is in 1st year, Olivia only started school and Jack is in 3rd class. They’re at a great age and they keep us on our toes.
“I love my job and it hasn’t changed much since we became Tirlán. The job has evolved though over the years. Some parts of the job have been mechanised and streamlined and there is an even greater focus on safety than ever.
“I’m very lucky. I love what I do and I really enjoy going into work. I came in here on a three-month contract and never left. As the wife says, they’d want a crane to lift me out at this stage.”
Tirlán Ingredients Take Centre Stage
Tirlán Ingredients Take Centre Stage
2023 ended on a high for the Tirlán Ingredients commercial team who attended ‘Food Ingredients Europe’ in Germany
The Tirlán Ingredients commercial team recently attended the final show of 2023 – ‘Food Ingredients Europe’ – which took place in Frankfurt, Germany. It was a great opportunity for the team to showcase all Tirlán has to offer across our dairy and plant based ingredients portfolio and showcase the range of applications in which our ingredients can be used in.
“This was our first year celebrating the new Tirlán brand. We welcomed lots of old friends and colleagues to the stand as well as new and existing customers. We showcased several brands, including Promiko, which went down very well with visitors to the Tirlán stand.
“Some of the big themes at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe show centred around sustainability. Shane McElroy, Head of Technical Development, said: “Sustainability has been a buzzword for the past number of years, but what we’re trying to do at Tirlán is show how sustainability is being implemented in real terms on our family farms from both a grain or dairy perspective. Going forward, we’ll be delving deeper into regenerative agriculture and carbon reduction.”
All in all, a very successful end to a productive year for the Tirlán Ingredients commercial team.
Check out the highlights video below: