By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L-R): Ian Hyland, President and Publisher of Business & Finance, Ryan McCarthy, Managing Partner, KPMG, Dalton Philips, CEO of Greencore and An Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
On Thursday, 11th December, at the Convention Centre Dublin, the 51st Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG, celebrated Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, and shone a light on leaders of Ireland’s business community. Dalton Philips, CEO of Greencore, was named Business Person of the Year 2025.
“Nobody is more important than anybody else; just some have more responsibilities than others.”
It’s a simple phrase, but it captures precisely how I think about leadership.
When I was recently recognised for my work at Greencore, I accepted the award with genuine gratitude. But I did so, conscious that no CEO achieves anything alone. Progress in our business has been built by colleagues who show up every day in fast-paced production environments, solve problems in real-time, and consistently deliver for our customers across complex supply chains.
Awards are welcome, but they are ultimately markers of collective effort.
Throughout my career, one principle has remained constant: you lead better when you understand what it takes to perform on the front line. Whether that is on a production line, in a customer meeting or in a service environment, operational proximity sharpens judgement.
At Greencore, every member of the senior leadership team — myself included — spends one day each quarter working in our operations as part of an initiative we call “Walk in My Shoes”. That might mean working on a line, packing products or joining hygiene teams. It provides senior leaders with direct insight into the realities of the business, and it enables frontline colleagues to share their views openly.
Clarity of priorities is equally critical. In a labour-intensive, high-volume business, sustained performance depends on disciplined execution. That means setting clear goals, communicating them consistently, and being prepared to make difficult decisions when the facts demand it — even when those decisions are uncomfortable in the short term.
I also draw a lot from my background. I grew up around food and farming, and that gives me even more respect for the work we do at Greencore. And my faith is really important to me too. It helps keep me grounded and shapes how I think about leadership, responsibility and how you treat people.
One of the most important disciplines in our sector is the willingness to walk away from work that does not create long-term value. Winning contracts can become the over-riding metric of success and part of a company’s identity. But resilience requires a focus on returns, service standards and operational capacity. Tough conversations are sometimes the price of sustainable growth.
I have spent much of my career in highly scrutinised sectors — retail, aviation, and food manufacturing. In such industries, disruption is inevitable. Operational challenges, economic shocks and regulatory pressures are part of the landscape.
Those experiences reinforce a simple truth: when under pressure, leaders must return to fundamentals. Support your colleagues. Maintain service to customers. Protect cash and capability. Communicate frequently and openly.
Over time, setbacks strengthen judgment. They teach the balance between decisiveness and humility. They reinforce the need for continuous learning.
Routine and discipline matter too. I make space early in the morning for some quiet time to reflect, to exercise and to prepare for the day ahead. I also put a lot of value on communication. In dispersed organisations, regular communication from leadership is essential. As businesses scale, clarity and connection do not happen by accident — they require deliberate effort.
There is sometimes a false tension drawn between commercial performance and broader societal responsibility. In reality, the two are inseparable.
A business cannot succeed sustainably unless it supports its people, operates responsibly and meets the expectations of customers and society. That means embedding safety, capability, governance and sustainability into core operations — not treating them as peripheral initiatives.
Improving efficiency, reducing waste and strengthening operational resilience are not simply environmental imperatives; they are commercial ones. A long-term perspective aligns shareholder returns with responsible practice.
Although we do not currently manufacture in Ireland, our headquarters, domicile and strategic centre remain here. Our Board meets here. Our annual shareholder meeting is held here. Our roots are here. We continue to evaluate opportunities to manufacture in Ireland because our identity as an Irish business matters — not just symbolically, but strategically.
Irish companies have an opportunity to demonstrate that commercial discipline and responsible leadership are not competing priorities. They are mutually reinforcing.
If there is a legacy I hope to leave at Greencore, it is a culture defined by accountability, operational excellence, collaboration and respect. That means empowering colleagues, ensuring they understand the strategy, and supporting them to deliver high performance safely and sustainably.
Staying close to people is not a slogan; it is a practice. It means regular site visits. It means consistent communication. It means listening.
Ultimately, leadership is not about prominence. It is about responsibility.
For emerging business leaders, my advice is straightforward: stay close to the fundamentals and the people who deliver for customers every day.
Build strong teams. Communicate clearly. Take a long-term view. Leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about creating clarity, supporting others and making disciplined decisions that strengthen the organisation over time.
Business & Finance Awards 2025
Dalton Philips, CEO of Greencore, was named Business Person of the Year 2025. Upon accepting the award, Dalton Philips said, “This is a special moment for our business. Next year, we’ll be a hundred years old, and we’ve come a long way from that first sugar factory in Carlow.”
In association with KPMG Ireland, the Business Person of the Year Award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional career achievements over the past year.
About the author: Dalton Philips has been CEO of Greencore since September 2022. He joined the group from daa plc, the global airports and travel retail group with businesses in 15 countries. He was previously the CEO of Wm Morrison Plc, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket chain, between 2010 and 2015. Before this, he held senior roles with the George Weston Group, including as COO of Loblaw Companies Limited, the leading Canadian grocery retailer, and CEO of Brown Thomas Group, a luxury goods retailer in Ireland. Dalton has also been a Senior Advisor to The Boston Consulting Group, and has a BA from University College Dublin as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School.Read more:
