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

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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.