Maya Research: The Business of Culture I 2026 I Download Now
What Made Headcase One
of Ireland's Most Thriving Companies to Work For
MAYA CULTURE AWARD WINNER I 2026
Headcase is a team of creative problem solvers who view the world differently. They help organisations and brands connect with audiences by combining insight and creativity across media innovation, PR, social, storytelling, and experiential.
Founded by Andrew Casey and Olaf O'Moore, who met at school and started a band at 12, Headcase evolved from running that band like a business, to finally understanding what they were really good at: creating experiences that shift culture.
Headcase recently earned recognition on the Breakthrough Culture Awards list as one of Ireland's most thriving companies to work for. After reviewing thousands of companies and surveying over 20,000 employees, what made Headcase stand out? Culture that sits at the intersection of creativity, purpose, and transformation. As founder Andrew Casey puts it: "Culture doesn't support the work here - it is the work."
Their mission lives at the centre of everything: to help the right organisations win the future. They want to tip the scales in favour of the right kind of businesses shaping the world. In 2023, they drew a line by walking away from working with brands that knowingly harm people and the planet, choosing values over revenue. Industries built on addiction and exploitation became a hard no, even when it meant losing money.
The culture runs on three archetypes: Creator, Sage, and Outlaw. The Creator connects through art and emotion. The Sage wants to help people deeply. The Outlaw refuses to accept things as they are and keeps asking why not. These aren't abstract concepts but the DNA of how people work and think at Headcase.
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"Trust Your Mad Idea" is their mantra. It gives people permission to stretch further and create something real. As a long-term client said: "Headcase has energy and commitment that is like a rocket engine. Finally, I've met a team that reflects the energy I feel about bringing our organisation's mission to the next level."
People refuse to be just one thing here, and Headcase supports that. Their CFO writes creative briefs and launches fashion brands, their CEO also coaches the team because they want their people to grow. Their leaders show vulnerability because pretending to have it all figured out doesn’t help people.
Day to day, people feel what it truly means to be part of a team through belonging, value, and purpose. They feel brave, supported, and proud of what they do. When that comes to life, people grow fast. They learn more than they thought possible because they're stretched as people. Coaching structures, one-to-one buddy systems, and clear rhythms make learning and accountability real.
The hiring approach is simple: they only hire people they can imagine being friends with. Most hires come through conversations, not filters. That rule alone has shaped their energy and relationships. When you're selective about bringing in people you'd genuinely want to spend time with, the culture maintains itself.
It compounds. Niamh Hegarty, Founder at BKultured and Niamh's Larder, says it plainly: "The team and culture are so well honed. When you are part of it, you are part of the family." Their greatest advocates are the ones who left. That tells you everything about whether the culture works.
Daniel Flynn, an Headcase alum, captures what sticks: "Headcase taught me not to let the corporate world compromise your own values." That's culture leaving an imprint that lasts beyond employment.
Everyone gets exposure from week one. Mentorship runs across levels. Growth gets measured by learning, contribution, and how you lift others. People want balance in life and don't live to work. They care about purpose, growth, and doing great things with good people whilst loving people as much as performance.
The leadership shows vulnerability. They don't pretend to have it all figured out. That honesty builds belief in themselves, in each other, and in what they can build together. "Trust Your Mad Idea" isn't a slogan but a mindset that shapes who people become.
Recognition as one of Ireland's most thriving companies proves what happens when companies genuinely build culture around their mission. Culture that doesn't just support the work but becomes the work itself. Values that drive decisions, even when it means walking away from revenue. And alumni who carry the culture forward as the greatest advocates. That's what makes Headcase a company where mad ideas matter because the culture gives them space to exist.
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