Kerry makes exec changes, taps Kelly as CMO, as Calahane and Dillane to lead North America and APMEA regions

IRELAND – Kerry Group has announced the appointment of three senior executives, marking a shift toward enhancing its focus on taste and nutrition solutions for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries following the divestment of its dairy processing division.

Oliver Kelly has been appointed as the group’s chief commercial officer, taking on global responsibility for commercial strategies and customer relations, with his base at Kerry’s US headquarters in Beloit, Wisconsin.

John Cahalane will succeed Kelly as president and CEO of Kerry North America, where he will oversee business development and innovation across the company’s largest market, which employs over 6,000 people and operates 50 manufacturing sites.

Peter Dillane steps into the role of president and CEO of Kerry APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa), which encompasses 118 countries and serves a population of more than 3 billion people.

The company also announced that Malcolm Sheil, after 36 years with Kerry, will retire later this year, having held several key leadership positions, including group CMO and CEO of Kerry Europe and Latin America.

Edmond Scanlon, CEO of Kerry Group, expressed that the company’s long-standing commitment to understanding and addressing emerging trends has been central to creating products that satisfy and nourish consumers.

Scanlon also emphasized that Kerry’s collaborations with global, regional, and local food and beverage companies have helped the company provide sustainable nutrition to over a billion consumers, with expansion efforts continuing in critical areas such as authentic taste, food preservation, proactive health, and biotechnology.

He also noted that Kelly, Cahalane, and Dillane bring extensive industry knowledge and experience to their new roles, helping to meet customer demands and support further company growth.

The executive changes come as Kerry adapts to an evolving market landscape, with plans for continued expansion and new product solutions in development for the global marketplace.

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