FoodCloud strengthens leadership team

FoodCloud, the leading non-profit organisation providing technology solutions for food redistribution, has announced significant new appointments to its leadership team to support the rollout of an ambitious strategic plan to help deliver a more equitable, inclusive, and circular food system by 2030 Sheena Forde has been appointed as partnerships director and Angela Ruttledge as public affairs and stakeholder manager, with Paula Doherty stepping down from the board to take an active role in managing the innovation strategy for the company.

Sheena Forde joined FoodCloud after over 25 years of working in the commercial sector for a variety of food wholesalers and supermarket chains. Starting her career working for a Glasgow-based NGO before joining the graduate scheme for Safeway Supermarkets in London as a food buyer, Forde progressed through a variety of senior buying, marketing and e-commerce director roles with Asda prior to moving with WalMart as food buying director for Seiyu, its subsidiary business in Japan.

Following her return home to Ireland in 2005, Forde has held a variety of senior

Agnese Filippi, country manager of Coca-Cola Ireland appointed chair of Irish Beverage

The Irish Beverage Council (IBC), the Ibec group that represents the nonalcohol beverage industry, has appointed Agnese Filippi, country manager of Coca-Cola Ireland, as the new chair of the IBC.

commercial roles, including trading director and operations director for Superquinn, head of food buying for Dunnes Stores and commercial director for Musgrave MarketPlace.

Forde has a keen interest in social inclusion and, in addition to her work with Friends of the Elderly and ALONE during the pandemic, she is a trustee of Siel Bleu Ireland, which delivers exercise solutions for elderly and vulnerable people

Paula Doherty qualified as an accountant with KPMG and subsequently became CFO and director of Irelandia Investments. She is now an independent financial consultant who acts on the Advisory Groups for Irelandia Investments and a financial advisor to Enterprise Ireland clients. Doherty has held board positions on more than 30 companies involved in investments, property, hotel and restaurants and airlines in Ireland and internationally

Angela Ruttledge is a solicitor with a background in financial, corporate and financial law. She trained with William Fry, before moving to Kosovo to work as a privatisation lawyer with the UN/EI mission there and, upon returning to Ireland she worked with Byrne Wallace. Ruttledge then moved into the hospitality sector, where she has 13 years’ experience owning and managing three restaurants with her business partners. During that time, she also spent 10 years on the board of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. She has just been appointed to the board of Failte Ireland and before joining FoodCloud, she co-founded Vytal Ireland, the country’s first digital platform for reusable packaging. Ruttledge is an Eisenhower Fellow, 2023.

Aldi Ireland appoints Colin Breslin as MD of buying and services Ireland

Aldi Ireland has appointed one of its senior executives to a new role within the business.

As IBC chair, Agnese Filippi will be responsible for representing an important industry at the heart of Ireland’s economy employing over 3,500 people directly and supporting an additional 3,000 jobs indirectly

Agnese Filippi has been the country manager of Coca-Cola Ireland since 2021 and in this role is responsible for meeting the evolving needs of consumers, positioning the organisation to drive success in the marketplace and ensuring continued delivery of the company’s long-term growth and success in Ireland.

“I am delighted to take on the role as chair of the IBC at what is a crucial time for all of us operating in the industry,” Filippi said. “As the sector continues to navigate changing consumer demands and rising costs as well as economic uncertainty, the IBC is a vital partnership platform that enables industry to work together and grow into the future.”

“Agnese brings significant experience and expertise with her to this position, and I look forward to working closely with Agnese in what will be a very exciting time for both our industry, and the Irish economy as a whole,” said Robert Kiernan, director of the Irish Beverage Council.

Reporting to group managing director, Niall O’Connor, regional managing director Colin Breslin has been appointed to the new role of managing director of buying and services Ireland.

Colin Breslin will be based at Aldi’s national buying office in Naas, Co Kildare.

Having joined the business in 2003 as an area manager, he has worked in several different roles in the Aldi business over the space of nearly 20 years, including store operations director (both in Aldi Ireland and GB) before assuming a regional managing director position in 2015.

In his new role he will take responsibility for the buying department in Ireland alongside marketing and communications, national real estate, human resources as well as some other service functions. Aldi states the move represents a further investment in Irish sourcing by the retailer, which will buy over €1.1 billion worth of Irish products this year

“In Colin, we have a wealth of retail experience and leadership, and he will continue to support and drive our business forward, and particularly, our value promise to our customers at this time,” said group managing director, Niall O’Connor ■