Irish food group Kepak has appointed Walter Martin as its chief financial officer.
Martin succeeds Robbie Grogan who is retiring after 34 years with Kepak, but will remain with the company until the end of the year.
Martin most recently served as chief accounting officer and company secretary with Kepak, where he helped to strengthen financial operations and governance.
Since joining the company in 2018, he has held key leadership positions, including head of finance and CFO for the UK meat division.
Prior to Kepak, he held senior finance roles with Ardagh Group.
“We are very pleased to appoint Walter as our new CFO,” said Simon Walker, CEO of Kepak.
“His leadership, financial expertise, and dedication have been instrumental in our growth over the past few years. We are confident that under Walter’s stewardship, Kepak will continue to thrive and achieve its strategic objectives.
"I also wish to pay tribute to Robbie Grogan as he retires. Kepak has transformed since he first joined the business in 1991, and we deeply appreciate his significant commitment and contribution.”
Commenting on his appointment, Martin said he was privileged to step into the role of CFO.
"I take on the responsibility for a highly successful finance function thanks to Robbie’s work over the past 34 years," he added.
"I look forward to working closely with our leadership team with a focus on ensuring disciplined capital allocation, identifying strategic growth opportunities, and delivering sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.”
Martin is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ireland, having completed his training with PwC.
He also holds a Bachelor of Business with Economics from Trinity College Dublin and a Diploma in Corporate Governance from the Corporate Governance Institute.
Kepak operates 14 manufacturing facilities in Ireland and the UK, with sales offices in Europe, the US and Asia.
The group employs over 4,500 people and generates an annual turnover of €1.8bn.
Photo: Walter Martin. (Pic: Supplied)
