Lidl Northern Ireland Regional MD to address Northern Ireland Food Industry

By Steven Moore
Published 11th Sep 2024, 16:49 BST
Russell Smyth, Head of Sustainable Futures, KPMG, Michael Bell OBE, Executive Director, NIFDA, and Ivan Ryan, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland.Russell Smyth, Head of Sustainable Futures, KPMG, Michael Bell OBE, Executive Director, NIFDA, and Ivan Ryan, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland.
Russell Smyth, Head of Sustainable Futures, KPMG, Michael Bell OBE, Executive Director, NIFDA, and Ivan Ryan, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland.
IVAN Ryan, Regional Managing Director for Lidl Northern Ireland, will be the keynote speaker at the 28th Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) Annual Dinner, the largest gathering of the Province’s food and drink processing industry.

Run in partnership with KPMG Ireland, the event will be held on Thursday, October 3, in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast.

With 300 people expected to attend, the event is widely recognised as an opportunity for food and drink leaders to come together to celebrate the industry, discuss challenges it faces and look to opportunities for growth.

Speaking ahead of the dinner, NIFDA Executive Director Michael Bell OBE said: “2024 marks a huge milestone for Lidl Northern Ireland, as the company celebrates 25 years and we are delighted to have Ivan as our guest speaker.

“The NIFDA annual dinner is a key event in the industry calendar. It’s an opportunity to network and catch up with industry peers, and to discuss state of play in the industry.

"Tickets are on sale now and we encourage those interested to buy their tickets as soon as possible.

“In the face of well-documented challenges, our industry continues to grow. NIFDA members are some of the most innovative, sustainable and forward-thinking companies globally and the dinner is an opportunity to share in these successes and, of course, enjoy some of the finest Northern Ireland food and drink.”

Russell Smyth, Head of Sustainable Futures, KPMG Ireland, said: “We are delighted to support the NIFDA annual dinner as headline sponsor for the second consecutive year.

"The food and drink sector supports jobs in every corner of Northern Ireland, however it faces significant challenges in responding to the sustainability agenda as observed in our 2023 sector-wide survey.

"KPMG are dedicated to helping address sustainability and decarbonisation issues, and we look forward to connecting with key industry leaders on the night.”

Ivan Ryan, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “We opened our first Northern Ireland Lidl store in Cookstown in 1999, and since day one our aim has always been to offer consumers the highest quality produce at market leading value.

"With a key focus on operating sustainably and with a growing network of more than 60 local suppliers, working with local Northern Ireland food manufacturers has always been our focus.

“I’m honoured to be speaking at the annual NIFDA dinner and look forward to celebrating our thriving, innovative and dynamic food and drink sector here in Northern Ireland.”

For more information on the 2024 NIFDA Annual Dinner, and to buy tickets, visit https://nifda.co.uk/nifda-annual-dinner-2024/

Related topics:Lidl Northern IrelandLidlProvinceTickets

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