Holstein UK Group CEO Sue Cope has died following a short battle with illness, with tributes hailing her as a 'highly-respected, true leader' in UK dairy.
Ms Cope died on 11 May after a 'short but courageous battle with illness', Europe's largest independent breed society said in a statement.
Having worked for the society for over 25 years, she took over as CEO of the Holstein UK Group in 2018.
The group said she had been "a driving force behind the business with her wealth of experience and extensive knowledge of the dairy sector".
Over the last five years, Holstein UK said Ms Cope had been "integral in future-proofing the society for the next generation".
Her leadership and strategic objectives had "delivered confidence to everyone involved in the business and the wider industry".
A 'true leader', Ms Cope will be 'sorely missed' by Holstein UK, the Cattle Information Service (CIS), the National Bovine Data Centre (NBDC) and UK Dairy Day.
Michael Smale, Holstein UK Chairman said: “We are all extremely saddened to learn of Sue’s untimely passing and our thoughts are with everyone at this incredibly difficult time.
"Sue was highly respected within the industry and worked tirelessly towards the development of the Holstein UK Group for many years.
"To Sue’s credit, the group has recently acquired new headquarters which the team will soon occupy.
"This will become just a small part of Sue’s legacy and demonstrates her dedication towards developing the Group of businesses.”
Holstein UK has around 4,500 members and registers almost 200,000 cattle each year.
