Martin Higgins, Chief Executive Officer
Martin Higgins has led safefood since its inception in December 1999.
Martin Higgins started his career at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in 1972. In 1979 he moved to the Department of Health, specialising initially in finance, but later concentrating on legislation, North South cooperation and policy development. Martin holds professional qualifications in accountancy and health economics.
In 1998 he joined the Food Safety Authority of Ireland as Director of Corporate Services. A year later Martin moved to safefood, initially on secondment, and was appointed Chief Executive in 2001.
His knowledge of the health and food safety sectors has helped to establish safefood as one of the island's primary sources of information and advice for consumers on food issues.
Dr. Gary A. Kearney – Director, Food Science
Dr Gary A. Kearney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD, is Director of Food Science with safefood. Dr. Kearney leads the chemistry/toxicology and microbiology disciplines within the organisation and has lead responsibility in managing the research programme and specialised laboratory services for safefood.
A graduate of University College, Cork with an MSc in Organic Chemistry and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Dr. Kearney previously spent nine years in the field of national and EU legislative food compliance with the Health Service Executive in Galway and Cork prior to joining the organisation. Having initially served as Laboratory Liaison Manager and then Corporate Operations Manager, he was previously responsible for the development of the organisation's scientific co-operation and linkages between food safety laboratories on the island, and performance management.
In addition to further training at Harvard Business School, Dr. Kearney graduated with an MA in HealthCare Management in 2001 from the Institute of Public Administration, Dublin and has also served as a member of the Board of Food Safety Authority of Ireland from 2000-2006.
Dr. Cliodhna Foley-Nolan – Director, Human Health and Nutrition
Dr Foley-Nolan is Director: Human Health and Nutrition with safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board. Dr Foley-Nolan directs the public health and nutrition functions of the organisation. Dr. Foley-Nolan has a medical degree from UCC; a masters in Public Health from UCD and is a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. Dr Foley-Nolan has worked at consultant level in public health medicine in the Health Service Executive, and is a specialist in the areas of health promotion and food safety.
Dr Foley-Nolan holds a lecturer post in UCC and is a trainer and examiner at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. Dr Foley-Nolan is a founder member of the Cork Zoonoses Committee and the Infoscan Infectious Disease Bulletin, both of which were subsequently replicated throughout the country. She has also served on a number of national advisory groups including those on MRSA, the HPSC's Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland and the National Lifestyle Surveys for the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Children. Dr Foley-Nolan is currently a member of the Veterinary Council of Ireland.
Fiona Gilligan – Director, Marketing and Communications
As Director of Marketing & Communications with safefood, Fiona has overall responsibility for the development of safefood’s communications strategy, which involves the promotion and understanding of core food safety and nutrition messages among consumers on the island of Ireland.
Ms Gilligan has worked with safefood for 7 years, formerly as Communications Manager with the organisation. She was heavily involved in the development of safefood’s initial communication function.
Prior to joining safefood, Fiona worked with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) as Communications Executive and before that was Business Development Manager with the Food Innovation Centre in Ballina.
A native of Ballybofey, County Donegal, Fiona was educated in Loreto College Milford. She holds a MSc in Food Science and a BSc – both from University College Dublin and a Diploma in Public Relations from the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.
Ray Dolan – Director, Corporate Operations -
Ray Dolan, safefood's Director, Corporate Operations, has previously held positions with organisations as diverse as the European Space Agency in Rome and the Comptroller and Auditor General in Dublin, as well as with safefood's sister organisation, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Reporting directly to the chief executive, Ray has responsibility for information technology, finance, human resources, administration and equality issues.
A qualified CIPFA accountant, he also holds a masters in public management obtained from the Institute of Public Administration, Dublin.