Kerry Group, a global leader in taste and nutrition, is pleased to announce several senior executive appointments. Oliver Kelly has been named Group Chief Commercial Officer, John Cahalane as President and CEO of Kerry North America, and Peter Dillane as President and CEO of Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA).

With the recent divestment of its dairy processing division, Kerry Group has continued its decades long evolution, becoming more exclusively focused as a global provider of science-backed, taste and nutrition solutions for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. To position the company for its next phase of growth, the following appointments to key executive positions have been announced:

  • Oliver Kelly will assume the role of Group Chief Commercial Officer, with executive responsibility for global commercial effectiveness and customer relationships. Based at Kerry’s US headquarters in Beloit, WI, Oliver will also assume executive responsibility for Global growth accounts and the organisation’s global marketing team.
  • John Cahalane will take on the role of President and CEO North America, succeeding Oliver, and will drive business and innovation in Kerry’s largest market, with over 6,000 employees and 50 manufacturing sites.
  • Peter Dillane will take over from John Cahalane as President and CEO of APMEA. With over 3 billion people in 118 countries, Peter will focus on expanding Kerry's footprint across this region while leveraging local and global expertise and resources to support new and existing customers. 
  • The appointments coincide with the planned retirement of Malcolm Sheil, who will leave the business later this year, after a 36-year career spanning several continents at Kerry which has seen him hold the roles of Group Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), CEO of Kerry Europe, and CEO of Latin America, among others.

Commenting on the appointments, Edmond Scanlon, CEO of Kerry Group, said: “Since our inception, Kerry has been dedicated to understanding and anticipating emerging market trends, and creating food and beverage products that delight and nourish consumers.

“Our partnerships with the top global, regional and local food and beverage companies around the world enable us to deliver sustainable nutrition to over a billion consumers today, and we continue to expand our global reach, bringing new solutions to market in key technology areas, such as in authentic taste, food protection and preservation, proactive health and biotechnology.

“Oliver, John and Peter along with their respective teams have a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, partnering with our customers to address consumers’ needs, and to support further growth for the company. I wish them, and Malcolm, all the best for this next phase of their careers”.

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About:

Oliver Kelly has been appointed as Group Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Oliver has held a number of commercial and leadership roles in Europe and North America, most recently as President and CEO of the North America business.

John Cahalane has been appointed President and CEO, North America, effective January 2025, succeeding Oliver Kelly. John has held several leadership roles in finance, commercial, operations, and general management, including the role of President and CEO, Latin America and, since 2020, President and CEO of APMEA. John will be based in the US.

Peter Dillane has been appointed President and CEO, APMEA. During Peter’s two decades with Kerry, he has held several leadership roles and since 2021, Peter has held the role of VP & GM leading growth and expansion in Kerry’s business across the Middle East, India and Africa. Peter will be based in Singapore.