Glanbia plc, a leading food manufacturing company, has announced that Siobhán Talbot, Group Managing Director, will retire after ten successful years with the company. Talbot will step down from her position and from the Glanbia Board on 31 December 2023 and will retire from the Group in January 2024. In her place, Hugh McGuire, Chief Executive Officer of Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN), will be appointed CEO of Glanbia plc and join the Glanbia Board as an Executive Director, effective 1 January 2024.
Siobhán Talbot joined Glanbia in 1992 and held several senior positions, including Group Finance Director, before becoming Group Managing Director in 2013. Under her leadership, Glanbia has transformed into a global better nutrition business, catering to the growing consumer nutrition trends and societal needs.
Glanbia’s business model has been reshaped to focus on growing and higher margin consumer branded and ingredient nutrition markets worldwide. Today, Glanbia Performance Nutrition, including the Optimum Nutrition brand, is the world’s leading sports nutrition business. Glanbia Nutritionals has also expanded its global capabilities and scale in nutritional solutions, particularly in proteins and customized premix solutions for the food and beverage industry. Under Talbot’s leadership, Glanbia has strengthened its organizational resilience with a strong purpose and value-driven culture, a solid financial position, and sustained returns to shareholders.
Hugh McGuire has been with Glanbia since 2003, holding various senior leadership roles across the Group. He has played a pivotal role in the development of the company’s global vitamin and mineral premix business and has led the growth of Glanbia’s Performance Nutrition business. During his tenure, GPN’s revenues have grown from $185 million to $1.7 billion in 2022, establishing it as the world’s leading sports nutrition business. In addition, the flagship Optimum Nutrition brand has experienced annual revenue growth of 16%, reaching $1 billion this year.
McGuire brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role as CEO of Glanbia. He has been a member of the Group’s Operating Executive since 2013 and previously served on the Board. Before joining Glanbia, McGuire worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company and held marketing and commercial roles with Nestle and Leaf. He holds an M.Sc. in Food Science from University College Dublin and has a Diploma in Accounting and Finance from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Ireland.
Donard Gaynor, Chairman of Glanbia plc, expressed his gratitude to Siobhán Talbot for her leadership and contribution to the company. He highlighted Talbot’s strategic direction in reshaping Glanbia into a clear leader in the better nutrition industry. Gaynor also praised Glanbia’s focused business model, which aligns with consumer trends and emphasizes purpose, values, financial strength, and growth.
Upon her retirement, Talbot stated her pride in leading Glanbia’s evolution, growth, and strengthening. She thanked her leadership team and colleagues for their dedication and support. Talbot expressed her confidence in Hugh McGuire’s ability to lead Glanbia and work towards the company’s strategic focus on better nutrition.
Hugh McGuire expressed his gratitude for being appointed as the next CEO of Glanbia. He acknowledged the strong foundations laid by Talbot and her support throughout the years. McGuire emphasized his commitment to building upon these foundations for the benefit of all stakeholders. He highlighted Glanbia’s market-leading nutritional ingredients, brands, and businesses, along with its talented workforce and values-led culture. McGuire looks forward to capturing growth opportunities, creating shareholder value, and unlocking Glanbia’s full potential as a better nutrition business.
