Retail Ireland, today announced Brian Donaldson, chief executive of The Maxol Group, as its new chairperson.
Donaldson will serve a two-year term and replaces outgoing Chairperson, Willie O’Byrne, managing director of BWG Foods.
He will be joined at the helm of the organisation by Bernadette Lavery, Managing Director of Boots Ireland, who takes on the role of Vice-Chairperson.
Upon his election, Mr Donaldson said: "Not every industry can impact positively on multiple facets of life at an economic and social level, nationally and locally. The retail industry can and does."
"As Chairperson of Retail Ireland, I will focus on the leadership role that retail takes across four core areas; sustainability, town & city regeneration, health & responsible retail and community engagement.
Shaping The Future
Retail Ireland has been working over the last two years to realise the ambition contained within its strategy document, ‘Shaping the future of Irish retail 2020’.
The final pillar of that strategy focuses on Irish retail’s contribution to the communities which it serves. This will be a major area of focus for the incoming Chairperson, the Ibec group that represents the retail sector highlighted in a statement.
"Retail is at the heart of every community in Ireland, playing an active role in keeping towns and cities alive, connected and economically vibrant," Donaldson said.
"This is a position we want to maintain and develop so that future generations will derive even more benefits from our sector.
Welcoming the incoming Chairman, Retail Ireland Director, Thomas Burke said: "We look forward to working with our new Chairperson, Brian Donaldson and Vice Chairperson, Bernadette Lavery, to further the prospects for our sector in the coming years.”
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
