Elaine Donohue has several years of experience at senior management within the food industry, holding a first class honours degree in international marketing practice, Prince II project management, and a diploma in strategic growth for the food industry from Smurfit Business School in Dublin. She gained robust knowledge of the retail industry and its workings following her years with Lidl Ireland. She then developed an extensive international perspective from working for Bord Bia in its London office. Returning to Ireland, she worked commercially as a national account manager for Greene Farm Foods and Brady Family Ham, one of Ireland’s top 40 brands, managing both domestic and export channels.
Martin Kelly is the new acting general manager of the Bia Innovator Campus. An Irish national, Martin was living and working in the US for the last 15 years where he developed a breadth of food industry experience across sales, account, brand, cross functional team and people management. In his time overseas he worked for both Irish and US companies across branded and private label business and spent close to 3 years working for one of the largest specialty food distribution companies in the US. Prior to leaving for the US, Martin lived in Galway and worked for baked goods company ARYZTA in Ireland. He has a master’s degree from the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway and a primary degree from the National College of Ireland, Dublin. He is also an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional® and has participated in an executive education program at Stanford University. Martin has ‘ a genuine interest in food and entrepreneurship and is delighted to be back and joining the BIA team at such an exciting time’.
Sandra Regan has more than 20 years’ experience working within the food manufacturing and retail sector in Ireland, specialising in Procurement, Product Development and Change Management. She brings a strong commercial focus to BIA across manufacturing, food service and retail, having honed her skills as a buyer for O’Brien’s Irish Sandwich Bars and more recently Smyths Toys. A graduate of LYIT, University of Huddersfield and UCC where she specialised in Food Science and Technology, Sandra brings a broad spectrum of knowledge both professionally and academically to BIA. Sandra says ‘’BIA is at the fore front of advancing the progress of the west Ireland as a go-to destination for all things food. I am beyond excited to play a part in helping achieve that goal.’
As part of founding partner Teagasc’s contribution to BIA Innovator Campus, we are delighted that Colm Foley is now in place as our in-house food technologist. Our food community are already benefitting from Colm’s Irish and European experience in product development. He holds an M.Sc. in Food & Wine Management and a B.Bs. in Culinary Arts, and has experience in recipe formulation, new product development, and food safety & quality, spending time working in the French food industry.While working full time on the BIA Innovator Campus Colm is a member of Teagasc’s Food Industry Development Department and is a vital link to the services, resources and knowledge base within Teagasc. Colm says “I moved back from France to join the BIA Innovator Campus and I am really looking forward to working with the breadth of companies that will pass through our doors”.
Anita Furey is our newest member of the Food Technology team. Having worked as a researcher in new food product development with the Culinary Arts Department at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Galway City and Science Department at ATU Donegal, Anita has experience in new food product development, shelf-life analysis, physical and chemical analysis of food, consumer acceptance testing, and food safety. Holding a PhD in Food Science as well as a first class honours bachelor’s degree in Business in Culinary Arts Management, Anita has provided expert advice for Irish food companies through her work with Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Voucher Programme and ATU. Anita says “I’m delighted to join the team here at BIA Innovator Campus and I’m very excited to be working with food entrepreneurs and assisting them with technical aspects of food manufacturing.”
Chairperson
Peter Feeney
Address
Ballygarraun West
Athenry, Co Galway
H65 R718
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© BIA Innovator Campus 2023
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