The Program

The Bord Bia Talent Academy programs were first brought to my attention after Conor Heavey, the program director visited my college and presented on the programs from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. As I was halfway through my final year my future career was obviously a main focus. With my undergrad coming to a close and having family connections in the food industry this made the prospect of starting my career with the Irish Food Board very appealing. The application process was conducted both online and in person. It was a very thorough process with thousands of applicants looking for one of the 70 available places on the various programs. These range from MSc’s in International Marketing Practice to Supply Chain & Account Management, Business Sustainability and finally Global Business Practice.

The MSc in Global Business Practice (which I was chosen for) involves a 23 month placement with a Bord Bia office in Dublin or in one of the many overseas offices – I myself was chosen to go to the London office. Alongside the office placements we have period block releases in which we go back to Michael Smurfit Business School for lectures delivered from a faculty that offer a blend of excellence in academics, real-world experience and provide practical examples which gives us an unparalleled opportunity to learn and develop. This in turn will provide us with an internationally recognised qualification that will stand to us throughout our careers. This programme offers a full scholarship with all tuitions paid for in full. Those on the program also receiving a tax free bursary in order to cover living costs while on placement.

From the day we began, the scale of how privileged we were to have been selected was imposed on us through introductory presentations in the Bord Bia Dublin Office from the CEO Tara McCarthy. Alongside this the media coverage around the country highlighted the program and its’ importance to the future of the Irish Food and Drink Industry. The initial few days in the Dublin office comprised of being introduced to the world of Bord Bia and being presented on how Bord Bia operates within the different sectors of the Irish Food and Drink Industry. While I had a basic understanding of what Bord Bia did within the industry, it was great to gain a deeper insight into how large the industry was as a whole and how much of a global presence that produce from the island of Ireland has. After the introduction we began the first two of eight modules that were to be delivered over the course of the program in the executive development section of UCD Michael Smurfit Business School. It was easy to see just how it had gained the international reputation that it has, through the facilities available and the level of knowledge shown by the lecturers delivering the modules.

While the modules are extremely intensive, I could immediately see benefits of the material delivered while performing the day to day job in London as it helped develop my role.

The Job, the Team and Brexit

In London I was placed into the role of Trade Marketing Executive for Retail in the UK which involved assisting the Market Specialist, Estelle Alley, with providing trade intelligence and marketing work in order to facilitate Irish food and drink companies in getting placed within British retailers. In addition to retail work I am also a part of the Brexit taskforce in Bord Bia, and finally I work with the numerous members of the talent programs that are based in the country - facilitating group talent catchup days and generally supporting those out on placement. Being part of such a small office of eight staff means that there is an all hands on deck approach to the work we do. On a daily basis I am responsible for working with the Market Specialist in numerous functions such as;

• Supporting client meetings with Irish Food and Drink Companies,
• Supporting customer meetings with UK retailers
• Providing feet-on-the-street insight for Irish clients
• Working on Bord Bia Brexit activities
• Being responsible for the Retail Intelligence program which gives an overview of the UK retail market as a whole to those already in the market or to those who are looking to break into it

While I had some previous understanding of the food industry through my families business, what I have learned over the past 8 months has been incredible, from learning how UK retailers function and also learning just how much of a wide reach and impact the Irish food industry has in the UK.

As it potentially has such huge implications on the Food and Drink Industry, Brexit and Bord Bia’s activities surrounding it have had a huge impact on my time in London. From attending numerous conferences in London surrounding British Government activities, to attending the National Ploughing Championships back in Ireland to provide Brexit support, I have gained massive knowledge of the political situation, what it brings and the worries that Irish suppliers are facing going forward. While there was massive uncertainty up until Britain finally left the EU on January 31st, focus has now picked up to ensure that Irish companies are as prepared as possible to avoid any disruption to their operations as a result of Brexit.

Finally I have been assisting with the Bord Bia Talent Academy activities in the London Office. This has involved being in contact with those on placement in UK retailers and foodservice companies in order to facilitate meetings and also to support the students on placement where needed. These placements have helped to develop the relationship between UK customers and the Irish Food Industry and also to increase the exposure of the Bord Bia talent programs, not just in the UK but also globally.

Since the beginning of my placement in London the office underwent a shift from a channel focus to a sector focus. While we had previously been segmented into retail and foodservice channels, the change has seen market specialists now lead in the areas of Prepared Consumer Foods (PCF), Horticulture, Alcohol, Seafood and Dairy specifically, with the role of market specialist for Meat unchanged in its delivery. This change in structure has seen my role change to focusing specifically on PCF and Horticulture in both retail and foodservice, while continuing my work on Brexit services and talent. The team in the London office have been extremely welcoming since myself and the other global graduate, Kerri, moved over in August and have helped us get stuck in and really become a part of what Bord Bia are doing abroad in a big way.

One of the main highlights of the time in the office so far was helping to deliver the Annual Bord Bia Trade Reception which is held in the Irish Embassy of London with Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy, Chairman Dan McSweeney, Minister Michael Creed and the Irish Ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill all present. This event also saw almost 300 UK buyers and Irish suppliers attend the evening event with some major UK contacts in attendance, most notable: Amazon, Starbucks, McDonalds and online retailer Ocado. The event featured a canape and drinks menu which helped to really showcase the finest of Irish produce and was a great way to help further the reputation in the UK. It was a great event to be a part of in the run up to Christmas and something that both customers and clients both look forward to each year.

London Living

While gaining a new found understanding and appreciation of the work the Bord Bia does internationally has been so valuable, one of the great opportunities that has come with this program has been the ability to live and experience London. After moving from Cork City it was a huge adjustment to move my entire life to another country on such short notice, but one that I wouldn’t hesitate to make – in spite of Brexit!

With such a large cosmopolitan city there is never any shortage of things to do, places to eat or coffees to drink! While it has helped knowing people already living here it has been great to meet so many new people from all over the world. At the weekends there is always so many amazing things to do, I have explored so many different parts of London, Clapham, Brixton, Wimbledon and Notting Hill to name a few. Each of these areas are so different and offer totally different experiences. It has been amazing to see so many different cultures compacted into one city.

Being in a city which has such great links to main land Europe is amazing and it is something I have taken advantage of since moving! With four airports to choose from there are fantastic offers on flights which has made travelling more accessible. I am also looking forward to getting the opportunity to take the Eurostar to Paris in a few months’ time for a weekend away.

London really does have so much to offer anyone who comes and lives here, if you are into chilled out coffee shop culture or crazy nights out the city really does have it all. I feel so lucky that I have been placed here and I am really looking forward to making the most of my time in this incredible city.

To find out more about the programs from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, visit the website at www.smurfitschool.ie/BordBia