Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board), has appointed Conor O’Sullivan to the role of UK Market Manager. Bringing over a decade of international experience to the role, having most recently served as Bord Bia’s China Market Manager, Conor will be responsible for leading global business initiatives in the UK.
The UK remains Ireland’s largest export destination for food and drink, accounting for over 30% of total exports and worth €5.7 billion (£5.1 billion) in 2024, a 9% increase from 2023 , highlighting the UK market's continued strategic importance to the Irish food and drink industry.
Commenting on the appointment, Shane Hamill, Director of Global Business Development at Bord Bia, said: “Conor has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic insight during his time in China, navigating one of the most complex markets through the historically disruptive period of Covid19 and its aftermath. Over the past five years in Shanghai, Conor has consistently leveraged his strong relationships skills and strategic insight to keep Bord Bia relevant and impactful in a famously fast-moving and complex market.
In the UK, Conor will safeguard Ireland’s global reputation and competitive advantage as a producer of quality sustainable food, utilising our pioneering food and drink sustainability programme - Origin Green. I’m confident that his experience and energy will bring fresh momentum to our work in the region.”
Conor began his career in Beijing on Enterprise Ireland’s graduate programme supporting export growth and providing market advisory for Irish SMEs across China. In 2016 he joined Bord Bia as a Market Specialist in Shanghai where he played a pivotal role in the launch of Irish beef in China and transformed promotional strategies for Irish pigmeat.
In 2020, he was promoted to China Market Manager where he led Bord Bia's team in Shanghai to devise market strategies, enhancing trade and consumer insights, and executing B2B and B2C campaigns to unlock opportunities and strengthen preference for Irish dairy, meat, seafood, and drinks in China.
Speaking about his new role, Conor O'Sullivan said:
"I'm thrilled to be joining the Bord Bia team in London at such a critical time for Irish food and drink exports. Over the last decade, it’s been immensely rewarding to play a part in the growth of Ireland's incredible food and drink industry in Asia. I'm excited to continue doing so in Ireland’s largest export market.
The UK and Irish food and drink industries share an unparalleled level of interconnectivity. I look forward to supporting even closer collaboration with ourretail, foodservice, manufacturing, and wholesale partners across the UK, - leveraging Ireland's expertise and to drive progress in key areas such as sustainability, supply chain resilience, nutrition and innovation.”
