Gillian Bowler

Bowler was born in London and grew up on the Isle of Wight.[1] She left school at 14 after illness, and attended a secretarial college.[1][2] She got a job working for the council, but found it boring and started a side business organising dances.[2] She then moved to work at a travel agency in London.[1][2]

Bowler was married to Harry Sydner and had a stepdaughter and granddaughter.[3][4][5][6] She died of kidney disease on 14 December 2016.[3][4][5][6]

Bowler moved to Dublin as a young woman.[1][2] She and Harry Sydner founded the package holiday company Budget Travel in 1975.[6] The company was known for realistic advertising, and was very successful.[1][4] Bowler spoke later of the sexism she had experienced in business as a young female outsider.[1]

Bowler and Sydner sold most of the company to Granada in 1987, and their remaining stake in 1996.[1][6] In 1998, Bowler became a member of the board of Irish Life & Permanent.[4][6] This made her the first woman to chair an Irish public limited company.[1] Following the financial crisis of 2007–08, she attracted criticism and death threats.[2] She gave money to people who had been affected by the problems.[4] She remained a chair of the board until 2011.[1]

From 2003 to 2008, she was also the founding chair of Fáilte Ireland.[6] She was interested in modern art and became the first chair of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.[1]

In 2005 Bowler was made a distinguished fellow of Griffith College Dublin in recognition of her public service and the contribution she had made to business.[4]