A Day in the Life - Karen Sugrue Hennessy

Karen Sugrue Hennessy has just been appointed Vice Chairperson of Tourism Ireland, marking a significant milestone in her impressive career. 

For those who do not know, Karen is my sister and at last she has agreed to do this column! After our interview, I was blown away by her  achievements. At family dinners, she is always advocating ‘buy Irish’, sustainability, and facts about preserving our land for the future. However, up until our interview, I was completely unaware of the dedication she has given over 25 years in leadership roles in both the private and public sectors to fulfil her mission. 

All four siblings – Melanie, Karen, Noel, and I grew up on a farm in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny. Our upbringing, guided by our parents Tim and Joan Sugrue, instilled values of hard work, integrity, and a deep appreciation for the food that sustained us daily.

This upbringing instilled in Karen a deep respect for the environment and a strong sense of responsibility towards its preservation. Our parents’ values have guided us throughout all our professional journeys, and shaped Karen’s leadership style with her passion for sustainability.

As CEO of Real Leaf Farm, Karen spearheads the development of sustainable hydroponic farming technology, transforming agricultural practices. Her work is not just about growing lettuce and leafy greens - it’s about reimagining the way we interact with the land, reducing waste and preserving natural resources for future generations.

Karen’s commitment to sustainability is evident in her leadership as Chair of the Port of Waterford Green Committee, advocating for environmentally friendly transit solutions. Her expertise extends to scaling food businesses, at Glanbia plc, where she spearheaded the acquisition of Glanbia’s inaugural nutritional ventures. After that, she served as CEO of the Design & Craft Council of Ireland, headquartered in Kilkenny.

As Karen embarks on this new chapter, her message is clear: the journey towards a brighter, a more sustainable future begins with each of us. Here is a glimpse into my sister’s very busy world…

You’ve had an extensive career spanning various sectors such as food, design, sustainable agritech, and finance. How has this shaped your leadership style?

I have been privileged to work across different sectors, which brings different perspectives. I have worked in multinationals, government agencies and in startups. I often reflect on my time running the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, realising that these earlier years of owning my own small business were essential to understanding the challenges that craftspeople and designers face. The same applies to tourism businesses, which are the backbone of the Irish economy.

Why is sustainability important to you? 

Right now, we have the power to influence our children and our children’s children’s future in a very fundamental way – to ensure our planet is habitable for future generations. As we move through the climate transition there will be challenges along with opportunities and I believe that Ireland is uniquely positioned to benefit from the opportunities. 

I am on the Steering Committee of Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate, an intergenerational programme bringing Chartered Directors and Design students together to use their collective knowledge to understand and address some of the major climate issues facing Ireland.  I can see first-hand their desire to understand what change is needed and how they could be instrumental in making this change. This is core to a sustainable approach and mindset. 

Your current role as the CEO of Real Leaf Farm highlights your commitment to sustainable agriculture. How realistic is sustainable farming for Ireland?  

Farmers are the custodians of the countryside, and we have been looking after the land for many millennia. We understand better than most the influence of the weather and, at times, the harshness of the climate, and therefore, have great respect for Mother Nature.

My role as CEO of Real Leaf Farm is to build an agri-tech company, developing sustainable hydroponic farms (glasshouses) in Ireland and the UK, growing lettuce and other leafy greens. We have the technology and growing know-how to provide fresh, natural, premium leafy greens 365 days a year at affordable prices, which delivers on ESG and sustainability impacts while reducing waste and improving shelf life. The first hydroponic farm is in Co. Offaly.

Give us some of the hard facts that we should expect in climate change. 

The environmental challenges posed by agriculture are huge, and they will become more pressing as we try to meet the growing need for food worldwide. We are likely to have two billion more mouths to feed by mid-century—more than nine billion people. But sheer population growth isn’t the only reason we will need more food. The spread of prosperity across the world, especially in China and India, is driving an increased demand for meat, eggs, and dairy, boosting pressure to grow more corn and soybeans to feed more cattle, pigs, and chickens. If these trends continue, the double whammy of population growth and richer diets will require us to roughly double the number of crops we grow by 2050. To demonstrate what this means - we must grow more food over the next 35 years than we have grown in the last 10,000 years combined.

In Ireland, 64% of our land is allocated to agriculture, with 80% of that area dedicated to pasture, hay, and grass silage, 12% to rough grazing, and 7.5% to cereals. However, less than 1% is used for growing fruits and vegetables, despite recommendations that half of our diet should consist of these nutritious foods.

Simultaneously, Ireland relies heavily on imports for various produce: 95% of apples, 80% of onions, 90% of tomatoes, and 80-90% of leafy greens, such as lettuce leaves.

To safeguard both our planet and our health, we need disruptive innovations from the field to the fork. Scientific advancements in food production exist, capable of nourishing humans, rejuvenating land, conserving water, and mitigating climate change. One of the more recent innovations in food production is Controlled Environment Agriculture – also known as vertical or hydroponics farming.

As the Chair of the Port of Waterford Green Committee, sustainability also appears to be a key focus for you.

I serve as the Chair of both the Audit and Risk Committee and the Green Committee at the Port of Waterford (POW). I strongly believe that POW plays a pivotal role in the development of the Southeast region. Being the only port with a direct rail connection onto the quays, POW is strategically positioned to offer sustainable transit solutions for numerous importing and exporting companies in Ireland.

As a Kilkenny native, what aspects of your background do you believe uniquely qualify you to serve as Vice Chairperson of Tourism Ireland?

I am delighted and honoured to be recently nominated by Catherine Martin, T.D. and sanctioned by the North South Ministerial Council as Vice Chairperson of the Board of Tourism Ireland. I have admired the work of Tourism Ireland for many years, and I look forward to working with the Board and Team. 

I have spent many years championing Irish craft makers and designers, both domestically and internationally and was very proud to do so. One of my most significant achievements was the Year of Irish Design (ID2015). This all-Ireland program brought together a complex number of stakeholders from both craft and design communities across international exhibitions, trade missions, and conferences. My team and I collaborated closely with the Department of Tourism in Northern Ireland, along with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and Enterprise Ireland. Managing, delivering, and leading trade missions resulted in an economic value of €54 million to Ireland Inc., with an initial investment of €5 million.

As a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Director, and MBA holder, I bring a robust foundation in governance principles, budget management, and strategic planning to the role. 

Coming from Kilkenny, we grew up with a great respect for the importance of both tourism, craft, and culture – indeed our mother Joan, ran a farmhouse B&B for many years.

With a busy career, is there any downtime for Karen?

100% - I love spending time with my family and my extended family first and foremost – we love nothing better than to have a big family dinner with all the family. I play piano nearly every morning as my form of meditation, and I enjoy attending cultural events nationally. James Fennelly tries to keep me in shape in his gym. I love to read, and I like to travel across the island of Ireland (and abroad).

If you were sitting beside 15-year-old Karen Sugrue Hennessy, what would you tell her?

I love this question, as I have a 15-year-old daughter. I can see myself in St. Brigid’s College in Callan, studying for the then Intermediate Certificate, surrounded by a great group of friends who are still my great friends today. We had fun and devilment, and if I were back there, I would do it all again with that same group, but with more confidence in my own ability. I would rid myself of the self-doubt of a 15-year-old – but this is easy to say in hindsight, and maybe we all must travel that journey.