An Irish success story: how Róisín Hennerty made Kerrygold one of the best-selling butters in America

When people talk about their career highlights, it’s often a memory of an inspiring colleague, or perhaps a particularly interesting project. However, for Róisín Hennerty, managing director of the Global Foods Division at Ornua, it’s a little more star-studded than that.

“Very early in our journey with the New York media, myself and a colleague were giving out samples of Kerrygold at a Gourmet magazine event,” Róisín explains. “Anthony Bourdain had just started his TV show with CNN and he came over, picked up a piece of bread and butter, and told us how much he loved Kerrygold. I was just bowled over; he was such a superstar.” She also remembers hosting an event in New York where celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker and Kevin Bacon were trying to get in – unsuccessfully, she adds, as they weren’t on the guest list.

Responsible for strategic marketing and the launch of Ornua brands Kerrygold butter and Dubliner cheese in the US, Róisín’s career is full of incredible highlights, but she is quick to point out that her start in the company was much less glamorous. After trying her hand at publishing, she started off at what is now Ornua in an admin role, using her fluent German to support those working in the German market. Although she says a key memory of her upbringing was good food, and sitting down around the table together, her foray into the food industry “was the best thing I’ve ever done, but it wasn’t some lofty path that I designed. It was fortuitous, but somewhat accidental.”

Upon entering the business, she says, “meeting the Kerrygold brand as somebody working within the organisation, I just fell hard and fast in love with it. Kerrygold is so present for those of us raised in Ireland, and to work with a truly authentic brand that is created by generations of family farmers is very special.”

Navigating a new market

Alongside her admin role, Ornua supported Róisín to study international marketing and trade at night, and soon began moving up in the company. In 1997, she moved to the US to work in the ingredients side of the business, and the next year, she got a role there as market development manager. Although today Kerrygold is the number two butter brand in America, it was a different story in the nineties. “The Kerrygold brand had a very small start in the US,” Róisín explains. “We sold a couple of cheeses, it was tiny. But when I went into the branded side, having seen the business from a broader perspective in Dublin, I knew what the opportunity might be.” She started “begging” one of her colleagues to let them sell butter, and eventually they agreed to send out one pallet. “There was a sense of look, have at it, but the US is big, it’s difficult. We’re not going to dig too deep on this until you show us that there’s an opportunity in the market.”

They launched Kerrygold and Dubliner within a two-year period, and Róisín and the one graduate she hired had a tiny budget to work with. It meant she had to think creatively: traditional advertising was out of the question. “We thought, ‘How do we get in front of culinary writers, food media, chefs?’ We started doing a media event once a year in New York with fantastic Irish chefs. It had a very small invitee list, you had to be at the top of your game to get in. And that was the starting point for us.”

There’s a misconception, Róisín says, that the American market must have been an easy one to crack. “Consumers over there didn’t have a clue about the beautiful richness of Irish food culture. That’s the story that we have to tell repeatedly. So our strategy, while focusing on getting on shelves, was also to tell the story of Irish food through the lens of the culinary community back here in Ireland, through chefs and farmers. And that really brought Irish food to life.”

Overcoming obstacles

The success of their strategy is evident today, and as Róisín has announced she will be leaving her current role later this year, there are certainly many incredible achievements to look back on. In terms of challenges, however, she says that these were less to do with the job itself, and more to do with her own feelings of doubt.

“Like many women, it took me a while to really relax into and to develop my voice in the industry,” she says. “For much of my career, being the only woman at a meeting or on the team, that was challenging.”

Another key moment for her, she explains, was grappling with the decision to keep working while her three children were young. “I was growing this fantastic business, and I didn’t want to sacrifice that. But the organisation worked with me, and at a time when we didn’t have flexible working, I was able to work three days a week in the office and remotely for two days, which was absolutely pivotal in my career.”

Supporting women 

Róisín recognises the importance of supporting other women in the industry from her work with Ornua’s Women in Leadership programme. “I think the Women in Leadership programme has been a real enabler because we get feedback from participants. We’ve had about 200 women so far, and we’ve had a real opportunity to hear from that cohort. We’ve also had a chance to really understand how to support them to get to the next level in the business and how to enable them to overcome challenges.”

Usually, Róisín says, when you surround yourself with those in similar circumstances, you often hear how they’ve worked through struggles you’re currently facing. “It can feel so personal to you, but then if you speak to someone who’s gone through the same thing, suddenly you can see a solution and realise there is a way through this. That’s why this programme can be a really powerful way of changing the organisation and bringing diversity to the fore.”

Róisín is also excited to carry on this support to a new generation of female farmers. “There’s a growing cohort of women in the agri-food industry,” she says. “Farming in particular is really tough work, and the passion and commitment with which they do it is something very special. There have always been female farmers, but their voice is becoming much more evident, and there are some real powerhouses in the Irish farming world that are setting the bar high for the future.”

Looking forward

Róisín is planning the next phase of her career and is very excited about what is ahead. “I’ve been with Ornua just over 30 years and I am planning my next phase which is one I’ve always thought about. Going back to that entrepreneurialism and being able to paddle my own boat.”

Aiming to stay in the industry, Róisín wants to work in the area of small culinary and media. “I’m currently building out what I’m referring to now as a portfolio career, so I can have that nice balance of time in my life to enjoy its many different aspects.”

As part of this balance, Róisín hopes to travel more, no doubt finding culinary inspiration along the way, but also working towards a more independent step in her career. She has a few things in the works for 2024, but says, right now, she’s just grateful for the experience, learnings and adventure she’s had with Ornua. “I’m really looking forward to the next opportunity while recognising the gift I’ve had working with Ornua, it’s been a great journey for me.”