I have had the pleasure of working with Nicky across two organisations: at Davy over 5 years ago when we were both senior execs; and more recently in 2024 when I brought him in as Interim CEO at Fordel as we underwent a major expansion and rebrand journey. Over the past year he has advised Fordel on our brand strategy, marketing planning, PR & communications, and key stakeholder engagement. Nicky delivers what I would describe as “marketing for grown-ups.”

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I have said the same thing to a number of clients and friends in recent months who ask me how we nailed the whole Fordel brand, marketing and communication piece: “If you're looking to do the same, meet Nicky Doran”

Xcentuate engaged Nick to collaborate with our Senior Management Team on developing our brand strategy for future growth. His involvement exceeded our expectations. Together, we crafted a strategic framework encompassing culture and brand that will guide our ambitions to scale the business and deliver greater value to our clients.
 
Nicky is commercial, practical, creative and enjoyable to work with. He focuses on the practicalities of business and recognises the crucial role people play in success.

I would recommend having conversations with Nicky. We have worked in very different sectors and organisations throughout our careers. I’m happy to call him a mentor. We have spent time discussing my career, my ambitions and what the future might look like. He is experienced and helpful in our strategic, tactical, and critical conversations.
 
Nicky is very insightful and grounded, his grasp of the subject matter is instant, and I find his guidance and perspective invaluable and refreshing; there is always a smile along the way. Speaking personally, I think we have both benefited from our meetings.

Nicky and NDAS cut through unnecessary complexity and focus on the job at hand.  His advice and outputs are clear, practical, and focused on what we need in Lanthorn.  
 
A trusted partner who delivers.

I’ve worked with Nicky for several years, and beyond being a genuine and decent person, I can attest to his exceptional skills as a leader, coach, and marketeer. He’s unique, creative, and passionate about his work.

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Nicky has an astute and strong instinct for what’s best for companies and their customers, backed by process and a strong data-driven methodology. The results speak for themselves: world-class, innovative, effective, and award-winning marketing campaigns and teams.

Nicky is a rare breed. He is full of wisdom, wit and charm. His acute commercial and marketing acumen is based on extensive experience as well as his strong people instincts, as he effortlessly manages to get the best from those around him. Over the past 4 years, Nicky has given his time and strategic advice generously to me, IAPI and the Effie Steering Group, helping to build the Effie Awards Ireland reputation in the Irish market.
 
Nicky has chaired Jury groups for Effie Awards Ireland since it's inception, and his reputation in the Effie global network has spread too, with him being invited onto both the Global and European Effie jurors on a regular basis, making him one of Ireland's leading marketing effectiveness gurus. He is always considered and generous with his sound advice. I am proud to call him an ally and mentor.

Nicky has made a significant contribution to Exemplar during an important period in our development.

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After we met, he took the time to understand the business properly, including our ambitions, our market context and the standards we wanted to set for ourselves. From the beginning, he helped with strategic clarity, commercial judgement and brought a practical, delivery-focused approach.

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What stands out is his ability to combine senior perspective with hands-on support. He can assess the broader challenge, ask the right questions and provide constructive challenge, while also helping translate that thinking into clear and usable outputs. His input has helped us strengthen our positioning, improve our communications and make decisions with greater confidence.

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Nicky is measured, straightforward and dependable in how he works. He brings experience, sound judgement and a strong sense of professionalism to the role. I would be very happy to recommend him to any organisation seeking senior advisory support across brand, communications, culture and marketing strategy.