JIM O'Mahony had spent is Wears as chief executive of the North Connacht Farmer's Co op (NCF) in Sligo when appointed managing director of Golden Vale in 1986. Within a year of taking up the position he had turned three years of losses into profit, and by 1990 the company was ready to go public.

The move to Golden Vale in Charleville, Co Cork, was not such a major step as Mr O'Mahony's father, also a dairy manager, came from West Cork and he himself had studied dairy science at UCC. Practically born in a creamery yard, he said, he never really considered an alternative career.

After completing an MBA at Trinity College, Dublin, Mr O'Mahony moved to Wexford to work for Wexford Creameries. There he met his wife, a pharmacist, and they have four children.

After working in Wexford, he went to a Tubbercurry, Co Sligo creamery that became part of the NCF.

Golden Vale underwent a complete overhaul in Mr O'Mahony's first year there, resulting in a reported profit of £2 million. His strategy included 500 redundancies within a few months and the contracting out of many services, including transport and distribution. At the time, one source who worked with him said that "he has great ability to bring people with him. He makes friends easily and brings changes with the minimum of hassle".

Committed primarily to Golden Vale, Mr O'Mahony had not devoted much time to other pursuits up until recently. Earlier this year, however, he was part of a three man consortium which acquired 86 per cent of the equity of Cork radio station 96FM. He also has property investments and is understood to have an interest in a car distribution company.

Mr O'Mahony and finance director Mr Liam Irvine, who will temporarily replace him, earned £483,000 between them last year.