Limerick Businesswoman and CEO of The Pudding, Gillian Horan has been shortlisted in the the Irish Women’s Awards 2020. The businesswoman has been shortlisted in the Business of the Year category (less than 50 employees). The Irish Women’s Awards honours the talent and hard work of female entrepreneurs, business women, professionals, civil servants, charity workers and many others that make Ireland a great and more equal place to live and work. The awards will take place next Wednesday, January 29th 2020 at the Blanchardstown Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The Pudding which Gillian Horan established in Limerick in 2015 is a creative and commercial Branding Company, a hybrid between a brand consultancy and design studio. It works with companies to build, re-position and grow game-changing corporate and employer brands. The company has offices in Dublin, Limerick and London. As one of Ireland’s leading voices in the industry Gillian has been responsible for a number of significant rebrands and has worked with a range of major national and global clients in the pharmaceutical, engineering, technology and hospitality sectors to optimise their brands to drive business results. The Pudding also works with brands to develop their employer brand strategy and Employer Value Propositions which enables businesses to attract top talent, can cut their costs per hire by 50% and reduce staff turnover by a third.
On being nominated for the Irish Women’s Awards Gillian said: “I’m delighted to be shortlisted for an Irish Women’s Award. It is recognition of not only the hard work I have put into establishing the company but it is recognition of the hard work by every team member that works with us and has worked with us over the years. For me being shortlisted indicates just how far the company has come in such a short space of time.”
Speaking about The Pudding Gillian said: “The Pudding believes that the proof is in The Pudding. We partner with our clients to achieve their goals and objectives. We truly believe that branding makes such an impact in business. It also makes an impact for locations, experiences and much much more. When you have a strong brand, people believe in what you do and become loyal customers and followers. We strategically and creatively help all types of businesses and organisations to develop and grow their brands. We do this by building strong brand strategies, designing unique visual identities and creating unique advertising campaigns. Some of our clients include: Colgate, Smyths Toys, Sheraton Hotels, The Conrad, Carton House, Cogs & Marvel, Simtech Aviation, American firms KEMP Technologies and Escher and our first client in Barbados, Harris Paints."
Speaking about her role in the establishment and growth of The Pudding Gillian says her interest in branding has been lifelong. “I am 15 years in the industry but I have been obsessed with branding since I was 4. I wanted to work in Coca Cola where I could create new campaigns. My title is CEO and now more than ever that means so much to me. We have a team of 7 people along with 10+ contractors and my role is to lead us collectively to international success. I am very hands-on and involved with day-to-day functions knowing and working with each client we have. Over the last few years with the team I have set the tone, vision, and the culture of The Pudding. This vision has led to us having an amazing team, world class partners, three offices, international clients, and a very profitable business”.
The CEO says there is a growing understanding between investment in brand and business growth. “High performing CEOs know that a brand is not just a trademark. We see them standing back and investing time to truly understand the link between their branded business and its financial performance. They understand stakeholder value, consciously decide on brand positioning and then inspire and align their people and operations to deliver. Very simply, they use their brand to fuel growth and financial performance. In these situations brand has firmly taken it’s seat in the Boardroom and not just from PR or risk management perspective.”
Gillian has also served as a non executive Board member at Colourtrend, Ireland’s leading decorative paint brand and is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland and the Institute of Designers in Ireland. Gillian is not only willing to bring her branding expertise and business acumen to just her clients and team, she is also a speaker and author. Gillian has lectured in Branding, Marketing and Entrepreneurship and has written articles for National and International publications.