Each month, we put the spotlight on a Glanbia Ireland employee and for our February newsletter we get to know GI Food Safety Risk Manager, Joe Tierney

Tell us how long you have worked in Glanbia and a little about your role?
As of 15th February this year, I have worked in Glanbia for five years. I previously worked as Food Safety Manager for Kellogg Asia Pacific, Europe, and Russia. My initial role at GI was Food Safety Manager and I am currently employed as GI Food Safety Risk Manager within the Regulatory and Scientific Affairs (RSA) function of the Quality team.

Your department is one of the lesser-known teams in GI. Tell us a bit about what the team looks after
The RSA department is just two years old under the new GI structure and was set-up to meet the needs of the business in the area of regulatory compliance and scientific affairs. Larry McDonald leads our function with support from myself and my colleagues Claire McGartland (Product Regulatory Manager) and Niamh Dennehy (Regulatory Technologist).

What’s your favourite thing about working in Glanbia Ireland?
I enjoy the variety of work in my role and the opportunity to conduct independent evaluation of complex issues. There is an element of not knowing what new challenges you may face from one day to the next which will require my input and guidance. The remit of my role covers all GI products for all sites. This extends from farm to finished products such as assessing the risks associated with grain, animal feed, porridge oats, soup, UHT products, consumer milk products, processed dairy powders and cheese, IF ingredients, farm based risks (grain and milk) as well as new product developments (NPD). It is a busy and sometimes challenging but a rewarding role.

What are you most proud of in your job?
I’m very proud how GI has represented itself in the midst of Covid challenges. I am proud of myself in relation to how I feel I live the GI values in endeavouring to treat all fellow workers and all GI stakeholders, regardless of role or function or background with decency and respect.

How do you describe GI to friends or family outside of work?
As a successful Irish company with a good finger on the pulse of changing consumer/customer needs.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love going for a long hike with my dog Harper. I’m a bit of a magpie and love collecting old clocks and furniture. I get great enjoyment from the fact that something can be two hundred years old but with a good service or polish, can run and or look like new again.

What are you most looking forward to post Covid/lockdown?
To travelling overseas and going back to Australia once Covid restrictions are removed. I was meant to travel to Lisbon last summer with my partner but the trip was cancelled. I also grew up on a farm in north Galway and look forward to seeing my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews again.