My Passion For Learning Is The Inspiration Behind Elemis

Noella Gabriel, Managing Director at ELEMIS, talks turning 60 and cracking the glass ceiling with her heels to Beauty Director, Jo GB

Noella grew up in Bandon, County Cork, one of five children whose father worked for the Ford Car Factory. She describes herself as a “free spirit” and has never married but has one daughter Kate, now aged 18. She co-founded ELEMIS in 1990.

I just adore what I do. Passion is, and has always been, my key driver. You couldn’t work in a more interesting business: because it’s evolving all the time and because we women are amazing – growing and getting more confident.

I think you need to be ambitious in life, but some women want success and fulfillment so much that it gets in the way. I think wanting it and being passionate about something you’re doing are two very different things. My driver has always been to learn, to experience and to meet people – and it still is.

A work/life balance is key. I am excessive by nature, so a balance has always been difficult, but I think it’s difficult for women in general in business because we always feel we need to overcompensate. Throughout the 60s and 70s I travelled the world and although my business was about beauty and women, the irony is that those at the top are still, pretty much, men. So I never felt I  could say, “I can’t do that”. But I think today that’s changing. There IS a permission to talk about your limitation without it destroying your opportunity. I welcome that change for women with open arms.

I never want to stop learning. Aged 60, I’ve just got a young girl in the office to give me an hour of social media mentoring once a week! As we get older and have these big roles, we think we’re expected to know everything but we’re learning all the time.