Glanbia appoints Wendy Chang Smith as CFO as Mark Garvey retires

Glanbia said Mark Garvey will retire after 13 years as the group’s chief financial officer. He will relinquish the finance post and his seat on the company’s board on March 30th 2027, before formally retiring from Glanbia one month later.

Wendy Chang Smith, currently Glanbia’s chief digital and transformation officer, will succeed him as CFO on March 31st. She will also become an executive director on the board. With immediate effect, she has taken the position of CFO designate.

Chang Smith previously served as finance chief for Glanbia’s performance-nutrition business. She joined the group in 2020 after holding senior finance positions at Amazon, Kellogg, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. Her roles at those companies covered the United States, Europe and Asia.

She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and an MBA in finance from Brigham Young University in the United States. Glanbia said her background combines finance with digital and transformation experience in consumer-branded and retail businesses.

Hugh McGuire, Glanbia’s chief executive, congratulated Chang Smith on her appointment and described her as a trusted company leader. He said her experience would support the group’s strategy, investment for growth, financial discipline and efforts to deliver long-term value to shareholders.

McGuire also thanked Garvey for his contribution during his 13 years at Glanbia. He said Garvey had overseen the group’s finances during a period of substantial change, with attention to capital allocation and cash generation. According to McGuire, that work enabled Glanbia to invest in growth and deliver returns to shareholders. He said Garvey would depart with the group in a strong financial position, including a strong balance sheet.