Neil McCann, the face of Fyffes for more than five decades, is retiring as a director of the listed fruit and vegetable firm.

Mr McCann (81) has been a non-executive director of Fyffes since stepping down from the role of chairman in 2004 in favour of his son, Carl.

In a statement to the stock exchange yesterday, the Fyffes board described Mr McCann as "an extraordinary leader and an inspiration to everyone with whom he has dealt in the business".

The statement continued: "He can be very proud of the large and highly-respected group that he has created. It is fitting that he steps down at the end of a year in which the group is expecting record results."

The announcement of Mr McCann's retirement comes a week before the High Court is due to deliver the verdict in an insider-dealing case involving Fyffes shares. Fyffes took the case against DCC and its chief executive, Jim Flavin, a former director of Fyffes, in relation to the 2000 sale of a €106 million stake in the fruit firm. Ms Justice Mary Laffoy is due to decide on the matter before Christmas.

Mr McCann's full-time involvement with Fyffes began in 1950, when he abandoned his accountancy studies to run his father's small fruit company in Dundalk.

He has since been credited as the main driver behind the rapid growth that has delivered annual sales of more than €2 billion for the company.

Fyffes also said yesterday that it would appoint Coen Bos and Rory Byrne to its board. Mr Bos, who joined Fyffes when the company bought Dutch firm, Velleman & Tas in 1997, is managing director of Fyffes's tropical produce division.

Mr Byrne joined Fyffes from KPMG in 1988 and currently heads up the company's general produce division.