State-owned forestry business Coillte has appointed its new chief executive, with Imelda Hurley taking up the position from November 4th.

Ms Hurley previously worked with agri-services group Origin Enterprises as chief financial officer, and prior to that was chief financial officer and head of sustainability for PCH International. She is a non-executive director of Total Produce and also serves on the audit and risk committee of the University of Limerick.

Ms Hurley holds a business degree from the University of Limerick and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

"Imelda has a wide range of experience across a number of sectors, both nationally and internationally, leaving her ideally placed to lead Coillte forward very effectively in addressing the challenges ahead while building on the success achieved to date," said Coillte chairwoman Bernie Gray.