Marian O’Gorman and son Gregory O’Gorman of the Kilkenny Group have been named as finalists in the annual EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
This is the first time the Kilkenny Group has been named in the final 24 of these coveted awards, marking a huge achievement for the family-run business.
Owners of the Kilkenny Shop on High Street - one of the group’s 13 shops, Marian and Greg have been nominated in the Industry category for their entrepreneurial work.
Marian O’Gorman has been CEO of the Kilkenny Group since 1999 and with the help of Gregory, who is the marketing director, has developed the Kilkenny Group phenomenally over the past number of years, capitalising on the recession as an opportunity to expand its store portfolio.
During 2007 and 2008, Kilkenny opened eight new store locations and it currently has 11 store locations nationwide, along with two sister Christy’s stores, two in-store cafés, and a newly redesigned online store, kilkennyshop.com
For more than five decades, the Kilkenny Group has been a leading supporter of Irish craft and design and this achievement marks the O’Gorman family’s long-standing commitment to driving the Irish craft and gift retailing industry, supporting Irish jobs.
Having returned from the recent EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat to the US and Canada with fellow nominees, along with past award nominees and winners, Marian and Greg are excited to be named among some of the most influential business people in Ireland, furthering their ambition and strategy to develop the Kilkenny brand on a global scale.
“Along with all the staff at the Kilkenny Group, I am incredibly passionate about supporting Irish craft and design, something the company has been doing for more than 50 years,” Marion O’Gorman says. “ It is a huge honour to be named among the 24 finalists of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and I hope this recognition of the company will have a positive effect on the Irish craft industry.”
