Malachy O'Connor

Visionary
DISC Type : Ds

Partner - Ireland at The Uspire Group

Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland

Overview

Malachy OConnor is a highly experienced FMCG and Private Label business consultant with over 25 years in the Irish and UK supermarket sectors. He founded Food First Consulting to bridge the gap between suppliers and buyers. A Queens University Belfast graduate, his career includes senior roles at Aldi Ireland and Tesco Ireland, specializing in negotiation and strategy. People who have taken his courses describe his delivery as fantastic and well-informed.

With a deep-rooted passion for fresh food, Malachys interest began at age nine selling homemade toffee and working in a local horticulture business. This lifelong involvement in the food industry, from farm to retail, fuels his consultancy and mentorship, where he enjoys helping passionate food entrepreneurs succeed. He is also deeply involved with the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards.

As Buying and Marketing Director at Aldi Ireland, he was instrumental in growing the companys market share from less than 2% to over 10%.

Personality Overview

Early Adopter

Objective Evaluator

Goal-Oriented

They are very professional in their approach and can weigh multiple perspectives together.  They might take some time to make their mind up but once they do, they don't change it easily. Reading between the lines and seeing beyond your words comes naturally to them.

Topics They Care About

Retail Negotiation
He is a certified Master Trainer who designs and implements world-class commercial leadership and negotiation skills training for both buyers and suppliers.
Private Label Strategy
As a partner at International Private Label Consult (IPLC) and through his past roles at Aldi and Tesco, he specializes in developing private label strategies for retailers and manufacturers.
Irish Grocery Market
He frequently posts detailed analyses of Kantar Worldpanel data on the Irish grocery market, tracking market share and trends for retailers like Dunnes, Tesco, and Aldi.

Media Appearances

Malachy has no verified media appearances

Work History

3-2020
Partner - Ireland at The Uspire Group
3-2018
Partner at International Private Label Consult (IPLC)
12-2016
Food & Beverage Industry Consultant at Food First Consulting
5-2017
Mentor @ Enterprise Ireland Mentor Network at Enterprise Ireland - where innovation means business
5-2017 - 5-2018
Consultant Commercial Director at SiSú

Education

1993 - 1997
BSc. Food Science (1st Class Honours) from Queen's University Belfast
1986 - 1993
A Levels: Chemistry from St. Patrick's Academy Dungannon

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 29 Location : Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland Job Level : Senior Designation : Partner - Ireland at The Uspire Group
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Malachy

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them at the end if they see a strong value prop in your product; expect an honest answer
  • During followups, use phone or text if needed, they should be fine
  • Suggest clear next steps with confidence, don't be vague or hesitant

DONT's

  • Don't shy away from asking hard questions, but be extra polite
  • Avoid putting conscious effort into relationship-building
  • Don't get into pricing discussions early on, steer conversation towards proven results

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Malachy is

  • Strong proof of impact and their conviction will matter the most, but they wouldn't want to act unilaterally either
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Malachy

  • They will say no if they are not convinced but you will have to prompt them.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Malachy move?

  • They will want to understand things well but can move fast once they have a clear picture.
  • Can Malachy take some risk or not?

  • They have good risk tolerance but are likely to think it through once or twice.

You And Malachy

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.