Donal Lehane, Food-NPD Teo. won a major prize in the "Start-up" category at the 2007 SEEPP best Business Plan competition. Each finalist gave a short presentation of their business plan to the panel of judges and audience members and then answered questions from the judging panel at a public event in the Waterford Institute of Technology's auditorium. The prize was sponsored by MJ O'Connor Solicitors, Waterford Business Park, Waterford.

Donal Lehane has:

• Served as CEO of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland 2001-2007, processing one third of the national milk supply..
• Responsible for developing Glanbia's businesses in Africa, South and Central America
• Operations Director of the Cheese Company in the UK employing over 2000 people
• Founded Dunhill Cuisine Ltd, a high-potential start up company in the ready meals business that employees 23 people in the rural village of Dunhill in Co. Waterford
• Founding member of DFBA Community Enterprises Ltd
• Founding member of Dunhill Rural Enterprises Ltd.
• Founding member of the Copper Coast Tourism Initiative and Copper Coast Geopark Ltd
• Founder of the south east convivium of "Slow Food Ireland" part of the 80,000 member Slow Food movement in 49 countries.
• Winner of the Intertrade Ireland's Seedcorn Munster Final 2007