Guaranteed Irish, the business membership network championing 1,500+ homegrown and indigenous businesses in Ireland, has appointed Ray Kelly, Interim Managing Director, Musgrave Retail Partners to its Board of Directors representing the retail and food sector.
Ray previously held the position of Marketing Director for Musgrave Retail Partners since February 2004 where he was responsible for the strategic development and marketing of the SuperValu and Centra brands, as well as the corporate communications. In recent years he has overseen the successful integration of Superquinn under the SuperValu brand. He has also cemented sponsorship as a core part of the brand’s community identity with the sponsorship of Tidy Towns, SuperValu’s partnership with the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship and the sponsorship of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship by Centra.
In 2014, Ray was announced Marketer of the Year, an award which recognises and honours excellence in Irish marketing and in 2015, Ray lead his team to win Marketing Team of the Year at the All Ireland Marketing Awards. Ray started his retail career in the US with WaWa Foodmarkets. In 1996 he returned to Ireland to join Coca Cola Bottlers Ireland and held various roles, including the position of Marketing Services Manager, prior to joining Musgrave.
Members of Guaranteed Irish benefit from the expertise and collective experience of its Board of Directors, currently comprised of senior Irish industry and business leaders such as:
- Paddy Kelly, Managing Director, Tegral Building Ltd and Chairperson of the Board
- Carmel Logan, Tax Partner, KPMG Ireland
- Mark Keller, Head of Sales and Marketing, Dairygold
- Michael Jackson, Managing Partner, Matheson
- Mairead McCaul, Business Unit Director, Oncology & Market Access in MSD Human Health Ireland.
- Damien McCann, Sales Director, Viatel
Guaranteed Irish is one of Ireland’s most enduring, recognisable and authentic symbols. The Guaranteed Irish symbol helps Irish consumers identify products and services that are a better choice for jobs and local communities in Ireland. Businesses that have been awarded the Guaranteed Irish mark have fulfilled the following criteria:
- People & Jobs: Businesses that provide quality, sustainable jobs for people living in Ireland.
- Place/ Provenance: Businesses that genuinely operate and add value in Ireland.
- Enterprise & Community: Businesses that meaningfully engage with the local communities in which they are based.
Brid O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish, says: “Our Board of Directors plays a crucial role in ensuring that Guaranteed Irish remains the symbol of trust and provenance for businesses operating in Ireland today. Ray brings with him a wealth of professional and personal experiences of working with a variety of Irish-based brands and we are delighted to welcome him to Guaranteed Irish. Ray’s extensive knowledge of the retail and food sector in Ireland will prove to be a valuable asset to our Board of Directors, as we look to expand further into this sector and uphold the high level of integrity associated with the Guaranteed Irish brand.”
