By Business & Finance 
Business & Finance debuts new feature, Executive Insights in association with KPMG
Business & Finance has today launched a new content series called ‘Executive Insights’, in association with KPMG.
Executive Insights is an in-conversation content series featuring thought leaders from across the Irish business community. Hosted by KPMG, the series will explore business strategy and how to navigate the current climate.
The first interviewee in the series is John Jordan, CEO of Ornua (Business & Finance Company of the Month, April 2021). He joins Sarah Freeman, Managing Editor of Business & Finance.
Founded in 1961 by an act of the Oireachtas, the agri-food cooperative initially known as the Irish Dairy Board, was tasked with the objectives to promote, facilitate, encourage, assist, coordinate and develop the exportation of milk and milk products. In 2015, the Board took on a new name, Ornua. Now, it is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products and owns the enormously successful Kerrygold butter and cheese brand which was the first Irish food brand to exceed 1 billion euro in annual sales in 2018. In the United States, Kerrygold butter is now the second most popular butter nationally and has a 10 per cent market share. Ornua has plans to increase Kerrygold sales to 2 billion euro by 2025.
In April, Ornua reported record turnover and profits for 2020, in spite of the myriad challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of Brexit and the expense of US tariffs, estimated to be somewhere in the region of 50 million euro. Ornua Chief executive, John Jordan, has called it ‘a unique performance in a unique year.’ With the tariffs now suspended, the company plans to reduce the price of their butter in response which in turn is expected to result in greater market share.
The company exports dairy products globally and is spread across 110 markets with a team of over 2,400.
See the interview below:
Business & Finance Awards
Business & Finance was launched in 1964 as Ireland’s first business magazine with the Awards programme established a decade later. The Business & Finance Awards is Ireland’s premier business awards programme and includes among its previous honorees outstanding leaders of our time across business, politics and wider society. This includes former United States President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, President Michael D. Higgins, former ECB President Mario Draghi, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Senator George Mitchell, and Sir Bob Geldof, among others.
