Ivan Ryan Regional Managing Director Lidl Northern Ireland will be the keynote speaker at the 28th Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) annual dinner, the largest annual gathering of the Northern Ireland food and drink processing industry.
Run in partnership with KMPG Ireland.
The event will be held on Thursday 3th October in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast.
With 300 people expected to attend, the event is widely recognised as an opportunity for food and drink leaders to come together to celebrate the industry, discuss challenges it faces and look to opportunities for growth.
The programme for the evening is as follows:
5:30pm | Drinks Reception with Industry |
7:10pm | Introduction and Welcome – Michael Bell OBE, NIFDA Executive Director |
7:15pm | Sponsor Address – Russell Smyth, Head of Sustainable Futures, KPMG Ireland |
7:25pm | Address – Professor Ursula Lavery MBE, NIFDA Chair |
7:35pm | Keynote Speaker – Ivan Ryan, Regional Managing Director Lidl Northern Ireland |
7.55pm | Thank you – Simon Fitzpatrick, NIFDA Vice-Chair |
8:00pm | Dinner |
10:30pm | Close |
Dress Code – The attire for the evening will be business dress.
Ticket Prices
If you have any changes or queries regarding your purchased tickets please email Karen at karen@nifda.co.uk
If you have any further queries regarding the Annual Dinner please reach out to nifda@morrowcommunications.com
Keynote Speaker
Ivan Ryan is the Regional Managing Director for Lidl Northern Ireland.
Prior to his appointment in August 2023, Ivan was Senior Director of IT and Chief Information Officer at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland.
Ivan has been with the company since 2007 and has worked across many areas of the business, both locally and internationally, holding senior positions within HR, operations and finance.
With a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting from the Technological University of the Shannon, Ivan also has a diploma in Employment Law from Technological University Dublin.
A Laois native, Ivan currently resides in Belfast where he leads the retailer’s operations across the region from Lidl’s Regional Distribution Centre based in Nutts Corner, County Antrim.
He enjoys spending time in Northern Ireland with his wife Marina and daughters Sophie and Holly,
In 2024, Lidl Northern Ireland celebrated its milestone 25th anniversary, having opened the doors to its first store in the island of Ireland at Cookstown in May 1999.
Ivan Ryan
Regional Managing Director
Lidl Northern Ireland
