Beef producer group Certified Irish Angus has announced two new appointments.

The appointments include Orlaith McLaughlin as education and events manager and Laura Plunkett as a newly-ratified member of Certified Irish Angus’ board of directors.

According to Certified Irish Angus, both appointees bring a "wealth of experience across education, quality assurance and waste-to-value processing, which will strengthen the advisory capabilities of the organisation".

Education

Orlaith McLaughlin in her new role will combine "significant educational expertise with a personal connection to agriculture" to enhance Certified Irish Angus’ all-island schools' competition.

McLaughlin holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Queen's University Belfast.

Following this, she decided to pursue her passion for education by completing a postgraduate certificate in education, specialising in mathematics.

She taught in schools in Belfast and Antrim before moving to Dubai, where she spent several years as a mathematics teacher and later progressed to lead teacher and subject specialist roles within vocational education.

In these positions, McLaughlin led curriculum development, assessment design and teacher mentoring.

She also completed a masters in educational leadership at the University of Ulster and is currently completing a masters in equine science from the University of Edinburgh.

After returning to Ireland in 2024, she joined Pearson Education, where she managed international assessment lifecycles for GCSEs and A-Levels.

Raised on a family farm in Co. Antrim, McLaughlin also brings a personal passion for agriculture to her new role.

Speaking about her appointment, she said: “I’m thrilled to join Certified Irish Angus and contribute to a programme that inspires young people while promoting sustainable farming practices.

"This role allows me to combine my two passions in life - education and agriculture - and I look forward to working with schools and students to create meaningful learning opportunities that enhance career opportunities for future generations."

Board of directors

Laura Plunkett is a new member of the board of directors.  

She completed her degree in agricultural science at University College Dublin in 2016.

Plunkett began her professional journey with ABP, joining its graduate programme in which she focused on quality assurance and animal welfare.

From there, she went on to lead the Meade Farm quality assurance team.

She later advanced her career further by joining the Hilton Foods Ireland technical team as quality systems manager, where she was responsible for ensuring the production of safe, wholesome and high‑quality food for consumers nationwide.

She is currently the plant production manager at College Group, where she is contributing to the development of its anaerobic digestion operations.

In this role, Plunkett supports the processing of agricultural and food waste into renewable natural gas and high‑quality organic fertiliser for use within the agricultural industry.

Appointments welcomed

Speaking about the appointments, Charles Smith, managing director of Certified Irish Angus, said: “We have no doubt that their capabilities and expertise will strengthen our vision for excellence in Angus beef production over the coming years.

"Orlaith’s unique expertise in educational leadership and agricultural insight will be invaluable as we continue to grow our schools’ competition and strengthen our commitment to education and development within the beef industry.

"Laura’s impressive background in quality assurance, animal welfare and now waste-to-value processing will be a game-changer for our advisory board and ensure we are maintaining excellent standards from farm-to-fork."