Meet our Leadership Team

Seamus Kearney

GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Seamus Kearney is Group CEO at Valeo Foods and joined the company in 2011 from Jacob Fruitfield where he was Managing Director from 2007. Prior to that Seamus worked with Aer Lingus for 17 years where he laterally held the position of Chief Operating Officer.

Brendan Feeney

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Brendan Feeney joined Valeo Foods in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer. Previously Brendan held senior CFO roles with Kingspan Group Plc across Ireland, the UK, Western Europe, North America and Australia between 2000 and 2012. Before that, Brendan worked with Deloitte in Ireland.

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Joe Walsh

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Before joining Valeo Foods as Group Operations Director, Joe Walsh was Managing Director of R&H Hall and Odlums. Joe has extensive experience in change management and business integration and was Director of Operations with Greencore’s sugar and malt businesses, and held senior operations and engineering positions in Ireland with General Electric and Gillette.

Ian Ainsworth

MANAGING DIRECTOR, VALEO FOODS UK

Ian Ainsworth joined Valeo Foods as UK Managing Director in 2014 from Weetabix where he was UK and Ireland Sales Director. He has extensive experience and knowledge of the food industry having previously worked in senior leadership positions at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. He was previously Managing Director of Yoplait UK.

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Hilliard Lombard

MANAGING DIRECTOR, VALEO FOODS IRELAND

Hilliard Lombard joined as Managing Director of Valeo Foods Ireland in 2016. Previously Hilliard was Chief Executive of Aryzta’s European and Asia Pacific business having joined IAWS Group Plc (which through merger became ARYZTA AG in 2008) in 2004. Prior to that, Hilliard was an Associate Director with KPMG.

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Luca Catzola

MANAGING DIRECTOR, VALEO FOODS ITALY

Luca Catzola is CEO of Balconi having joined the company in 2016 from MSC Cruises where he served as Global CMO. Prior to that, Luca held various leadership roles in a number of FMCG companies including Coca-Cola, Ferrero, Carrefour and Mattel.

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