Fyffes chairman Neil McCann is retiring as chairman but will remain as a director.

Carl McCann, currently vice chairman, will succeed him as chairman, taking up his new role immediately.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of Aer Lingus, will be appointed to the board of directors with effect from 1 January 2004.

"The board wishes to acknowledge the enormous contribution by Neil McCann to the creation and development of Fyffes plc into one of the world's largest fresh produce companies," the company said in a statement. "He joined the business in the 1950s and spearheaded its growth through the next three decades, before leading the group's stock market flotation in 1981, when it had sales of just €30million. Since then, Neil McCann has been at the forefront of the group's expansion drive into the UK and continental Europe. Today, Fyffes enjoys unrivalled financial strength in its industry and has annual sales of approximately €2 billion.

Carl McCann joined Fyffes in 1980 from KPMG, where he had practised as a chartered accountant. He was finance director of the group from 1983 to 1998 and was appointed vice chairman in 1988. In 1995, the board announced that Carl McCann would succeed to the chairmanship on the retirement of Neil McCann. He has been responsible for the group's acquisition programme and strategic planning.

Willie Walsh was appointed chief executive of the Irish international airline, Aer Lingus, in 2001, having previously held a number of senior management positions with the company. He has led Aer Lingus through a fundamental restructuring that has restored it to financial strength and profitability.

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