Our Directors & Leaders

Gareth Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

John Connolly

Chief Operating Officer

John is a fifth-generation Connolly who joined the company in 2012. Prior to this, he worked in Finance with Barclays in London and IFG in Dublin, specialising in Corporate Risk, Pensions, and Renewable & Non-renewable Energies.

He earned a first in his Masters from DIT in Business & Entrepreneurship, in addition to a BA in Economics from UCD and Management from UCC.

Now a Director, John has led the IT digital transformation of the company since 2016 and has taken over the Chief Operations Officer role of the Group.

Michael Connolly

Global Strategy & Business Development Director

Having read Anthropology, Philosophy and Theology at NUI Maynooth, while training to be a priest, Michael changed his early career to journalism. After a couple of years writing, he joined his family company with other fourth-generation brothers Joe, Bill and the late John Connolly (Snr) in 1993.

He relocated to Köln, Germany in 1994 from when Michael (and his teams) have built and manage the bulk of the group’s global business stretching from Portugal to Japan and South Africa to Sweden across equine, pet food, camel and supplements.

He earned a first in his Masters Degree in International Business Administration from Trinity College, Dublin in 2007 and joined the post grad diploma course on the International Sales Programme with TUD Technical University of Dublin in 2008.

Apart from sales and marketing, Michael plays a key role in the product and process development of the company such as the key technological development NFMS project to extend product shelf life. He was responsible for the company’s strategic entrance into the supplements business with the acquisition of Foran Healthcare in 2011 and RED MILLS subsidiary in Japan in 2014.

Now focused on equine and camel, he has been based as Managing Director of RED MILLS International FZE in Dubai, United Arab Emirates since 2019 from where he leads the European, Middle Eastern and APAC businesses.

Michael is a fluent German speaker and has a working proficiency of several European and Asian languages and cultures, including classic Arabic.

Michael Shields

Chief Technical Officer

Michael Shields is Chief Technical Officer at Connolly’s RED MILLS and a member of the Senior Management Team.

He holds a B.Agr.Sc degree from UCD and an MBA from RMIT University, Melbourne. He oversees Feed Formulation, Research and Development, Quality Control, Technical Support and Business Relationships at Connolly’s RED MILLS.

Michael has spent almost all of his career in technical and commercial roles in the Animal Health and Feed industries. His working career has taken him to over 20 countries and he has lived in England, Australia and Central America.

He is a past president of the Irish Pig Health Society and is a member of the Feed Committee of the Irish Grain and Feed Association and the Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances (NOPS) Sub-Committee of the British Equine Trade Association (BETA). He is a Guest Lecturer at South East Technological University (formerly WIT). He is a founder member of Marble City Cyclers, Kilkenny’s largest road cycling club.

Michael Collins

Chief Financial Officer

Michael Phelan

Agri Business Manager

Michael has worked in the agribusiness for over 35 years, having graduated from WIT Waterford. His main roles have been in Seed production and sales, Raw material purchasing, and Sales Management of the ruminant feed sales team. Michael is a former president of the Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA), the Irish Grain And Feed Association (IGF), and the Irish Tillage and Land Use Society (ITLUS).

Gareth Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

John Connolly

Chief Operating Officer

John joined the company in 2012 as a 5th-generation Connolly. With a background in Finance from working with Barclays in London and IFG in Dublin, John specialises in Corporate Risk, Pensions, and Renewable and Non-renewable Energies.

John is highly qualified, having earned a first in his Masters from DIT in Business & Entrepreneurship, as well as a BA in Economics from UCD and Management from UCC.

Today, John is the Director and Chief Operations Officer of the Connolly’s RED MILLS Group and has been at the forefront of its digital transformation since 2016.

Michael Connolly

Global Strategy & Business Development Director (Exports)

Michael joined the family company in 1993 together with his brothers, Bill, Joe and the late John Connolly (Snr). Since relocating to Germany in 1994, he has primarily been focused on driving the global expansion of the RED MILLS Group together with his expert teams across the business’ various divisions, namely horse, pet, camel and supplements.

With a Masters Degree in International Business Administration and a Post-Graduate Diploma on the International Sales Programme, Michael has played a strategic role in product and process development. He has spent more than 28 years developing the Connolly’s RED MILLS Group’s global expansion. Michael has also overseen the key technological development of the Nutrient Fresh Management System (NFMS) packaging for an extended product lifespan along with the business’ entry into supplement solutions following the acquisition of Foran Healthcare (2013) and the RED MILLS Subsidiary in Japan (2014).

Since 2019, Michael’s focus has been set on the equine and camel divisions as Managing Director of RED MILLS International FZE in Dubai, UAE. As a fluent speaker of German and with a working proficiency of numerous Asian and European languages and cultures, including classic Arabic, he now leads the Middle East and APAC businesses from his current home base.