Tuesday, 28 January 2025
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today announced that Mr Greg Dempsey has been appointed Chief Executive. Mr Dempsey is currently Deputy Secretary General at the Department of Health and will take up office following the conclusion of tenure of the current Chief Executive, Dr Pamela Byrne, on 1 March 2025.
A native of Dublin, Mr Dempsey is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, holding a BSc in Financial Information Systems and is qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant. He is a member of the Board of the Institute of Public Administration, and a member of the State Claims Agency Advisory Committee.
Mr Dempsey has worked in the Department of Health for over a decade, where he was previously Assistant Secretary and Head of Finance, before becoming Deputy Secretary where he heads the Corporate Affairs Division overseeing the highest standards of corporate governance in the Department. Prior to that, he was Chief Finance & Operations Officer with the Department of Finance, having joined there from in the Central Bank. Before he joined the public sector, Mr Dempsey had a distinguished career in the private sector, where he worked in a number of Financial Services firms, including as CEO of Zurich Bank.
Commenting on the announcement, Ms Ann Horan, Chair, FSAI stated that Mr Dempsey brings a wide breath of expertise and leadership to the role of Chief Executive that will be invaluable in steering the FSAI to maintain its primary role in protecting consumers’ health and interests in relation to food safety.
“The Board is delighted to welcome Mr Dempsey as the new Chief Executive of the FSAI. Mr Dempsey’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the FSAI, as we roll out our new Strategy 2025-2029, which sets out an ambitious roadmap to continue safeguard consumer health and enhance trust in Ireland’s robust food safety system. With his exceptional leadership skills, and a clear vision for the future, we are confident that he will safeguard and further drive the FSAI’s exemplary track record in delivering its legal mandate,” said Ms Horan.
“On behalf of the FSAI, I wish to thank our outgoing Chief Executive, Dr Pamela Byrne for her exemplary leadership during her tenure. Dr Byrne’s vision, passion, hard work and commitment to food safety has been instrumental in the FSAI continuing to be a highly regarded regulatory agency both nationally and internationally. We wish Dr Byrne all the best in her future endeavours and look forward to building on the strong foundations she has established," Ms Horan concluded.
