THE former chief executive of Invest NI, who quit his role in December after just two years in charge “to focus on a new area” has been appointed chief commercial officer at Newry pharmaceutical giant Norbrook.
Kevin Holland (57), originally from Bristol and a former British trade diplomat to China, has more than 30 years of experience in the private and public sectors, including with Unilever and Baxter.
His appointment coincides with that of former banker Kevin Kingston (55), who joins Norbrook as non-executive director.
Kingston has more than 25 years of business experience and was most recently chief executive of Danske Bank UK.
He has a first class honours in accounting & finance from University College Dublin and holds an MBA from Ulster University.
The two Kevins join Norbrook's board at a time of significant investment and growth at the Newry headquartered business.
Liam Nagle, chairman and chief executive at Norbrook (www.norbrook.com), said the new appointments bring a wealth of business experience at the highest level which will add further strength to the company and the board.
He said: "Their knowledge, experience and expertise will be of great assistance to us as we continue our multi-year investment programme, enhance our product pipeline, and build a strong platform for future growth."
Kevin Kingston said: "Norbrook is one of Northern Ireland's most impressive businesses and one of the global leaders in animal health, a market currently worth $48 billion and set for strong growth.
"I look forward to working with Liam and the board to help the business continue its excellent progress and to capitalise on the substantial opportunities that lie ahead."
Kevin Holland added: "I'm delighted to join Norbrook as chief commercial officer at a time when significant capital investment and progress across the business has placed the company in a very strong position to address a robust market demand for improved animal health."
In the year to last July, revenue at Norbrook rose by 9 per cent to £231 million while operating profits showed a six-fold increase from £4.4m in 2020 to £28.4m.
