EY CEO Outlook: Leading the future of food production, with Conor Galvin, Dairygold

In this episode of The EY Podcast: CEO Outlook series, Conor Galvin tells host Richard Curran about his unconventional journey to the position of CEO of Dairygold and his long term strategic ambitions for the company. He also shares his unique insights into the current challenges and opportunities facing the food production sector.

When Conor Galvin became CEO of Dairygold in January 2022, it was a period of great volatility and uncertainty. The company’s energy bills had soared by 800% due to rising gas prices and the war in Ukraine. Galvin managed, not only to steer the company through this difficult period, but to oversee a record turnover of €1.65bn, an increase of over 40% from the previous year. 

Growing up on a dairy farm gave Galvin a deep understanding of all aspects of the food production industry and an appreciation for the work involved and the pressures experienced by the whole supply chain. That, combined with later qualifications in science and accountancy, have helped him to build a vision for the future of Dairygold, including new building opportunities in the health and nutrition spaces.

They also discuss:

· Galvin’s education and career experience leading up to Dairygold and what he learned at each step along the way.

· Environmental sustainability and food production – what Ireland does well, where it can improve, and the role that new technologies are playing.

· People management and trying to balance achieving consensus with the imperatives of getting the job done.

· Galvin’s focus on long term value and how he tries to balance the needs of the company today with that of the future.

· The leader that had the most impact on his career and why.