Kerry boss: Results ‘extraordinary’

Never likely to lose the run of himself and indulge in over-the-top histrionics, one can truly tell Kerry Group is in good shape and on the right track when Stan McCarthy uses terms like “extraordinary” and “optimistic” to describe current group performance and outlook.

Kerry’s chief executive for just over five and a half years — his appointment to the top job coming 32 years after he initially signed up to the food giant’s Graduate Recruitment Programme — Mr McCarthy has been at the heart of the group’s relentless financial and geographic growth over the past few years.

Speaking on the back of a strong — and better-than- anticipated — set of first-half results, which he called “extraordinary”, given market challenges; he talked of the importance of emerging markets, the potential future benefits from the ‘1Kerry’ transformation programme and R&D spend, and the freedom afforded by a strong balance sheet.