'The absolute pinnacle': Mecca founder Jo Horgan wins entrepreneur of the year

Mecca Brands founder Jo Horgan has won the EY entrepreneur of the year, after growing the cosmetic group's business in the face of fierce competition from global rivals such as Sephora entering the Australian market.

Ms Horgan, who runs Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima brands, was recognised for her entrepreneurial spirit at an awards ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday evening.

"It gives me confidence that I’m on the right track, and every last piece of confidence is a gift," she told Fairfax Media on Wednesday, after collecting her trophy.

It's the first time the national award has gone to a female winner since the program launched in 2001.

Representation of female entrepreneurs did play on Ms Horgan's mind as she filled out the paperwork for the awards program.

"There were two motivators for me. The first was the Mecca team, and the second was that so that women entrepreneurs all around Australia can see it is possible to get to the absolute pinnacle of their industries and get recognised for it," she said. Read more

Emma Koehn - Brisbane Times - 31 October 2018