27 July 2019
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Seven graduates from Cork join Bord Bia’s Talent Academy which has welcomed 69 new recruits this Summer – Bord Bia’s largest ever investment in talent acquisition for the Irish food and drink industry, in its 25-year history.
Bord Bia Graduate Programme.
Photo Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography
The Talent Academy features four programmes, run in conjunction with UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and gives students the opportunity to gain professional food and drink industry experience while undertaking a Masters programme with UCD.
Michael Murphy, Industry Talent Director at Bord Bia commented: “Investing in talent is a key priority for Bord Bia and through our talent programmes we are ensuring that we attract the best people into the food and drink industry. The new recruits, who underwent a rigorous selection process, come from a range of academic and professional backgrounds and bring a variety of skills and aptitudes to their respective roles. They can expect a hothouse environment over the next weeks and months; a place where their talent will be nurtured in order to drive the success and growth of the Irish food and drink industry.”
Six of the Cork recruits join the Talent Academy as International Graduates working directly for Bord Bia: Sophie McCarthy from Blackrock joins Bord Bia’s Milan office; Anna Cashman from White’s Cross will be placed in Bord Bia’s Paris office; Denis Buckley from Kingsland will be based in Bord Bia, Stockholm; and Cian Hassett from Passage West will work in Bord Bia, London. Hazel Hennessy, from Cork city, and Clodagh Evans, from Blackrock, join Bord Bia’s Dublin office. Roisin O’Connor, from Bishopstown, will be placed in London as one of 19 Bord Bia Marketing Fellows, working on marketing and commercial projects for Irish companies wishing to grow exports.
In total, 32 International Graduates will work directly with Bord Bia, placed in Bord Bia Dublin or in one of Bord Bia’s network of 14 offices worldwide. Ten recruits will be placed overseas with multinational food and beverage organisations as Origin Green Ambassadors working to implement the principles of the Origin Green programme into their sustainability plans. As part of the Retail and Foodservice Account Management programme, eight recruits will be placed in the UK, working with major UK retailers to secure business for Irish suppliers.
Following an immersion and study period of three to five weeks (depending on their chosen programme), the new recruits take up their roles around the world. For the remainder of the programme, recruits will undergo block release modules with UCD Michael Smurfit and complete academic assignments that support real business and marketing projects.
