Biography

Business Experience

Mr. O’Byrne served, until March 2023, as Chief Financial Officer and Director of J Sainsbury plc, the second largest retailer in the United Kingdom. He was previously Chief Executive Officer of Poundland Group Plc and held executive roles at Kingfisher Plc, including Divisional CEO UK, China and Turkey, Chief Executive Officer of B&Q UK & Ireland and Group Finance Director. Prior to this, he was Group Finance Director of Dixons Retail plc and European Finance Director of Quaker Oats. Mr. O’Byrne joined the IFF Board in March 2023 and was elected Chair of the Board in May 2025. Mr. O’Byrne is also Chair of the Board of Centrica plc, a FTSE­-100 listed energy and services company, where he previously was Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. He has over 35 years of experience on public company boards in the UK, Germany and US, as an executive and non-­executive. He was previously Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Land Securities Group plc.

Education

Mr. O’Byrne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies from Trinity College, Dublin and he has been a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales since 1990.

Qualifications

Mr. O’Byrne is a skilled Chief Financial Officer, and public company board director with extensive international business and finance experience. He applied this knowledge to the Finance, Internal Audit, Investor Relations, Property, Procurement and Strategy functions at Sainsbury’s, driving the performance of the business.