John Keogh appointed new director of APHA

THE Animal and Plant Health Association (APHA) has appointed John Keogh as incoming CEO.

The move follows the decision of Brendan Barnes, the current director, to retire at the end of the year.

Mr Keogh is a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture at UCD, where he studied agricultural economics. He worked initially for Coopers Animal Health, before moving to the beverage industry, where he was marketing director for Bulmers. In 2002, he was appointed managing director of Tayto, and following its sale to Largo in 2006, he was appointed managing director of the Irish Dairy Board’s global consumer food business. More recently, John has been CEO of the Solid Fuel Trade Group for the last four years.

Commenting on his appointment as head of the representative body for manufacturers and distributors of animal medicines, Mr Keogh said: “My new role is very close to my roots, and I look forward to bringing experience gained from the food, drink, and energy sectors to the APHA. The animal and plant health industries make a major contribution to world food production, and are central to feeding the world’s growing population, sustainably and safely. I am very pleased to have an opportunity to again work with these industries in Ireland.”

Recent APHA figures show that the use of preventative medicines on Irish farms has increased more than three-fold in the past 10 years.