The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has appointed Seamus O’Donohoe as Chief Executive Officer.  O’Donohoe is a highly experienced co-operative sector executive and was most recently Company Secretary of ICOS having also served as Director of Member Development.

ICOS represents co-operatives and organisations in Ireland – including the Irish dairy processing co-operatives and livestock marts – whose associated businesses have a combined turnover in the region of €12 billion, with some 150,000 individual members, employing 12,000 people in Ireland, and a further 24,000 people overseas.

O’Donohoe has a UCD Master of Agricultural Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from University College Dublin’s Smurfit Business School where he was the winner of the 1993 Sir Charles Harvey Award.

He is a member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). He has served as Chairman of the Forum for the Co-operative Movement in Ireland and as a member of several Department of Agriculture LEADER II consultative and monitoring committees.

Seamus O’Donohoe said: “I am delighted to take on this opportunity and challenge in such a vibrant economic sector.  The collapse of the former tiger economy has brought a renewed and welcome interest in the particular strengths of the co-operative model as a means of creating enterprise and employment.  I look forward to working closely with members, policy makers and representative organisations to further promote the development of co-operative enterprise and the agriculture and food industry in Ireland.”

Pat McLoughlin, President of ICOS said:  “Seamus O’Donohoe brings extensive knowledge and experience of the co-operative sector to his new role.  He thoroughly understands co-operative industry issues and developments from a domestic and international perspective.  He will provide strong direction and leadership for our members at this crucial time for the Irish economy and I wish him every success.”