#92 Nick Whelan: Dale Farm

Ok, so when I think of Dale Farm I think of milk, cheese, eating Joker ice lollies in the car. Tasty delicious, love it. But I always assumed it was just another Northern Irish food company like the rest of them.    But, as you will hear today, I only knew a small slice of the incredible Dale Farm story and in this episode, you’ll have the chance to hear it for yourself, from a man who is equally as interesting.    Nick Whelan is Group Chief Executive of Dale Farm, the UK’s largest owned dairy cooperative. Unlike traditional companies, Dale Farm is owned by the 1300 farmers that that make its products and that all profits get pumped back into the local farming industry.   Nick grew up on a dairy farm in County Wexford before heading off to the University of Cork. After his working way up through the dairy industry with big players like Glanbia and Kerry Group, Nick had the unexpected opportunity of relocating with his family to Northern Ireland to take his current role.   Despite being a self-confessed ‘blow-in’ Nick is one of the most passionate people about Northern Ireland that I’ve ever met and his drive/ambition for this part of the world is really inspiring, as is his own personal story.   So in this episode, we talk about how Nick got to where he is today, the importance of casting a vision that other people can follow and why Northern Ireland is truly incredible. // To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Nick (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/nick-whelan-dale-farm   Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.   To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/   Cheers!   — Matt