Commenting on her role at Bord Bia, Bord Bia Chairman Dan MacSweeney paid tribute to Ms. McCarthy saying: “On behalf of the Board of Bord Bia, I wish Tara the very best for the future and thank her for her tremendous efforts on behalf of Bord Bia and for her dedication and commitment to our client companies and the food, drink, and horticulture sector. Tara has made a significant contribution to Bord Bia, and the organisation is in a very good place due to her leadership, energy, and drive over the last five years. The search for a successor to Tara begins immediately and, in the interim, I have full confidence in the leadership team in Bord Bia to continue to successfully execute our new and exciting strategy.”
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said: “I thank Tara McCarthy for her energy, leadership and commitment to Bord Bia and the wider agri-food industry. She has guided the organisation and supported the industry through many challenges, including the impacts of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. Tara has nurtured top talent, as well as building Ireland’s voice in thought leadership on sustainability, with benefits for the sector as a whole. Tara has focused on developing new markets while building on existing ones to the benefit of our world-class primary producers, farm families and fishers. I wish Tara well in her new endeavours and look forward to continuing to work with the Board and leadership team in Bord Bia into the future.” Alltech has released a statement today noting that the company is delighted to welcome Tara McCarthy to the Alltech team. “Tara is highly regarded throughout the global agri-food industry as CEO of the Irish Food Board, Bord Bia. She was instrumental in the development of Ireland’s Origin Green program — the world’s only national food and drink sustainability program. Tara will join us in June as Global Vice President of ESG, based in Dunboyne, Ireland, the home of Alltech's European Headquarters and Bioscience Center. We look forward to her involvement in advancing our vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.”