Conrad Greene of Stephens Catering Equipment was elected as IFSA Chair at the IFSA AGM

Conrad Greene of Stephens Catering Equipment was elected as IFSA Chair at the IFSA AGM on Monday, 11th September 2023.

Speaking on Monday, the new Chair said, "​I must admit that it’s a great personal honour for me to be firstly asked to become chair of an organization that celebrates 60 years supporting our industry.  Foodservice is a sector that values people above all else, and IFSA is rooted in this same philosophy."

"​I would like to thank Alan & the IFSA board for steering the association so diligently and supporting its members through some of the more difficult times over the last 3 years. IFSA really rallied around its members during COVID. We were all delighted to see the back of that and come together last February at the biannual CATEX Exhibition. What a positive event it was.

 Not resting on our Laurels, we have ambitious plans for the next 2 years and I’m very excited and looking forward to working with IFSA and Chef Network as we embark on new projects and begin to plan for our 60th anniversary in 2025.

 As I mentioned this industry and this sector is all about people, and as the new incoming chair, I would encourage as many people as possible from our sector to get involved in both IFSA and Chef Network Projects. Not only will this lead to meeting new contacts and making new friends, & this opportunity for me will be of satisfaction & experience."

Conrad Greene is the Commercial Director of Stephens Catering Equipment (SCE) and joined SCE thirty years ago in August 1992. Julie Morrissey, Managing Director of Stephens Catering Equipment commented on the appointment: “I want to take the opportunity to offer a special congratulations to Conrad Greene on his recent nomination and appointment as Chairman of IFSA. The position of IFSA Chair is a highly esteemed and demanding role which serves the entire food service industry. It is a testament to the high regard and respect that Conrad is held by his industry peers that they have entrusted him to lead the organisation for the coming years. Please join me in wishing Conrad every success in his honorary position and on behalf of Stephens Catering Equipment let me express our pride in him and his continued contribution to our industry over the last three decades.”

Alan Cruite of Trinity Purchasing, whose term as Chair has come to an end and will continue in the role of Vice-Chair for the coming term, said, "It’s hard to believe my time in the Chair has come to an end but that does not mean the work is done, far from it. When accepting the chair I did have some goals one of which was to build on the great work previous chairpersons have accomplished. It has been an honour to follow in their footsteps. Growing the membership was very important to me but also having a more inclusive board was another goal and I look forward to seeing the growth of our membership and presence in NI. It has been a busy two years and I was very proud to of the teams involved in organising the many events that were hugely successful which we will highlight shortly.

IFSA support a number of trade associations but in particular, I would like to call out Chef Network and its success. Tomorrow the 12th of September is the official launch of Open kitchen a very exciting project which will see over 50 restaurants in 14 counties open their kitchens to the public to showcase their operations to educate and attract talent."