Head of Agriculture
Bank of Ireland Business Banking
Bank of Ireland is a traditional, relationship-driven retail and commercial bank with a conservative business philosophy. The bank has a strategy to support customers, strengthen capital, while actively managing it's cost base and the credit risks pertaining to the marketplace.
- Developed and implemented a strategy for the development of the Agriculture sector within Business Banking in BOI, including the introduction of a specialist team of 13 Agricultural Managers between 2012 and 2015.
- Manage the sector proposition and approach including the introduction of the bank’s Agri-Flex product which accounts for modern day agricultural commodity price volatility.
- Oversaw and contributed to the on-going lending growth within the portfolio, which has seen BOI continue to provide > 50% of all new lending to the sector including €635m of lending in 2015 alone.
- Staff up-skilling, including the issuance of regular sector update bulletins and provision of agri training workshops, e.g. 2 Dairy Expansion workshops in May 2015, 5 one-day Agri Appreciation courses delivered by Accenture during 2015.
- Risk management of the bank’s agricultural lending portfolio which extends to the preparation of the annual agricultural book and credit policy review and presentation to the Group Risk Policy Committee.
- Managed specific activities linked to the development of the bank’s profile within the agri sector including 11 customer seminars in April 2015, 60 farmer discussion group meetings in Dec ’15 / Jan ’16 and the bank’s annual presence at the National Ploughing Championships from 2012 to 2015.
- Met with IFA, ICMSA and the Department of Agriculture. Represented the bank at the Oireachtas sub-committee for Agriculture, National Dairy forum and accompanied the Chief Executive to bilateral meetings with the Minister for Agriculture.