Kepak Group has today (Thursday, April 3) announced the appointment of Walter Martin as chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately.
Walter succeeds Robbie Grogan, who is retiring after 34 years with the business. The company has said that to support a smooth transition, Grogan will remain with the company until the end of 2025.
Martin most recently served as chief accounting officer and company secretary with Kepak, where he played a crucial role in strengthening financial operations and governance, according to the group.
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.
Chief executive of Kepak, Simon Walker said: “We are very pleased to appoint Walter as our new CFO.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Walter Martin said: “I am privileged to step into the role of CFO at Kepak.
“I take on the responsibility for a highly successful finance function thanks to Robbie’s work over the past 34 years.
“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
Kepak Group is a family-owned innovative meat company with a heritage of over 50 years of meat craft.
From the establishment of a butcher shop in Dublin in 1966, Kepak has grown significantly and today the group has a turnover of €1.8 billion and employs over 4,500 people.
The group operates 14 manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland and the UK with sales offices in Europe, the US and Asia.
The group markets a broad range of fresh and value-added meat products serving the foodservice and retail market with brands including Big Al’s, Rustlers, Celtic Beef and John Stone.
