It’s a big leap from banking and finance at UCD to co-founding the international perfume brand Memo, but for John Molloy moving into perfume was a natural extension of his love of luxury fashion and leather goods, which started when he was a student working in Brown Thomas at the weekends.
Molloy credits two people with pointing him towards a career that has seen him rise through the ranks of premium fashion and skincare companies such as Kenzo and Lancôme International.
“I worked in Brown Thomas under Paul Kelly and his predecessor, and this was a great grounding in retail,” he says. “The other person who influenced my career was Prof Frank Roche at UCD. He had a course in enterprise development where you had to pitch an idea for a new business. Mine was for an upmarket outdoor clothing brand.”
Molloy was supposed to go and work for a merchant bank in London when he graduated. Instead he threw himself into developing his clothing idea which was subsequently launched under the brand name Callaghan’s Dublin 1796.
“The range was made by John Partridge in London – they manufacture for premium outdoor brands – and I joined them to head up Callaghan’s Dublin 1796. I love tailoring and seeing how garments are made with maybe 200 machines going full speed cutting and stitching.
“However, the reality of my job at John Partridge was not glamorous. It was driving around England and Ireland in a Mitsubishi Spacewagon with 200 pieces of clothing in the back, calling to shops instead of being a fancy banker driving around London in a Cadillac,” says Molloy. However, life on the road gave him a crash course in brand development and the sharp end of retailing.
Molloy spent almost five years with John Partridge before taking 12 months off to travel. “I felt like I’d been going nonstop from the time I’d started university and I really wanted a break and to visit countries not yet exposed to tourism, to learn about their culture,” he says.
“I went around the world and during that time did my GMAT [graduate management admission test] with a view to doing an MBA. I came across a relatively new MBA in Paris, sponsored by luxury goods company LMVH, and decided to go for it. Then in 2000 I joined Kenzo in Paris, which is part of the LVMH group, as general manager for menswear.”
In 2005 Molloy moved into skincare as director of retail and service for Lancôme International. From there, he joined L’Oréal Luxe as general manager based in Switzerland.
In 2012 he left L’Oréal to start a new professional chapter when he turned his attention full-time to Memo, which he had founded with his wife, Clara, in 2007. The company employs 75 people with 33 in Geneva and the rest split between the UK, France and the United States.
“My wife is a poet and her great loves are literature, poetry and art. In 2005 she decided to write a book about perfumers. It was the first book of its kind to focus on ‘noses’ (master perfumers who turn scents from concepts into what ends up in bottles) and she interviewed 22 of the best noses in the world about their creative talent,” he says.
“At the time, there was a sameness about perfume with the same brands on sale everywhere, and we could see the beginnings of a demand for something different – a bit like pulp fiction versus authorial texts – and that was the inspiration for Memo.
“Clara knows exactly what she likes, and she’s very good at putting words on emotions, so she writes the briefs for the nose to capture all the different notes she wants reflected,” says Molloy. The company has since expanded its portfolio with two more brands: Floraïku, an Asian-inspired range; and the patented alcohol-free Hermetica, which is focused on reflecting the values of the sustainability zeitgeist.
“To work in the luxury industry, it’s essential to be close to the creative heart and to excellence. In this respect, London and Paris are musts, and I remain attached to the city [Paris] that opened up so many opportunities for me. Geneva is also a city with a strong commitment to craftsmanship and exceptional know-how.”
Molloy spends up to 50 per cent of his time travelling to do business in more than 60 countries. “Our partners are multinational and family-owned companies where long-term relationships are key and reputation is of utmost importance,” he says.
The Molloy family lives in Geneva and feel very much at home there. “There is the possibility of getting to the mountains and enjoying Lake Geneva, which means I can get in touch with nature quite quickly, and I need this proximity.
“At the same time Geneva is an international city on the move, and this is conducive to the development of projects and business, which is a great quality in my eyes. Life here is also gentler and less stressful.” He likes to keep fit, ski and undertake climbing expeditions to clear his head.
“I’ve been away a long time now but I still miss things about home like my extended family and friends, the countryside, horses, the fresh air, culture, the banter and storytelling, the smiles and generosity, and living close to the elements,” he says.
