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Email Agent of Jo Fairley

Jo Fairley is a trailblazing entrepreneur, writer, and sustainability champion, best known as the co-founder of Green & Black’s, the pioneering organic and Fairtrade luxury chocolate brand now worth over £100 million. She has since built an impressive portfolio of ventures, including Judges Bakery, The Wellington Centre, and The Perfume Society, each rooted in quality, wellbeing, and the senses. Recognised with awards for her commitment to ethical business and sustainability, Jo has become a leading voice in responsible entrepreneurship. Today, she inspires audiences worldwide as a sought-after speaker, sharing invaluable insights on innovation, branding, and purpose-driven business.

Jo Fairley’s career began in publishing, where she made history as the UK’s youngest-ever magazine editor at just 23, taking the helm at Look Now. Her early years in journalism and editing gave her a sharp insight into branding, storytelling, and consumer trends, skills that would underpin her later ventures.

In 1991, Jo co-founded Green & Black’s with her husband Craig Sams, creating the UK’s first organic chocolate and the first Fairtrade-certified product on supermarket shelves. The brand became a global success, setting new standards for ethical food production and responsible business.

Building on that achievement, she went on to develop ventures focused on sustainability and wellbeing. In 2002, she relaunched Judges Bakery in Hastings as an award-winning organic bakery and food store. Soon after, she opened The Wellington Centre, a thriving wellbeing hub offering holistic therapies. Her most recent enterprise, The Perfume Society, has become a leading international resource and community for fragrance enthusiasts and professionals.

Jo’s leadership and influence have been recognised globally. She has received the World Aware Award for Responsible Entrepreneurship, multiple Soil Association Awards, and the Shackleton Medal for Leadership and Citizenship from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. She has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Studies from Kingston University. Today, Jo continues to advise businesses, support boards, and inspire leaders across industries.

Jo is co-founder and co-author of the bestselling ‘Beauty Bible’ series and ‘The Story of Green & Black’s’, documenting the brand’s journey. She also co-founded The Perfume Society, publishing The Scented Letter, an award-winning digital fragrance magazine. Jo contributes regularly to national titles including The Times, YOU Magazine, Red, Marie Claire and Healthy Magazine, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, BBC Breakfast, and Woman’s Hour.

Booking Jo Fairley guarantees an inspiring and memorable experience for any audience. With a career spanning publishing, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and wellbeing, Jo draws on decades of success building innovative, values-led ventures. She offers unique insight into creating brands that resonate deeply with consumers while staying firmly anchored in purpose and responsibility. Her speaking clients include HSBC, Deloitte, Bloomberg, Vodafone, and numerous universities and business schools.

Whether addressing senior executives, entrepreneurs, or students, Jo tailors her message to deliver practical strategies and relatable stories that leave a lasting impression. As the founder of several award-winning businesses and a recipient of multiple honours for responsible entrepreneurship, Jo brings authority and experience to her talks. Known for her warmth and humour, she engages audiences with actionable lessons on innovation, leadership, and resilience, ensuring every event feels energised, insightful, and designed to inspire meaningful change.

To book Jo to speak at your event, call SpeakOut on +44 (0) 20 8914 8966. Alternatively, complete our contact form to begin your enquiry

  • VIDEOS
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • SPEAKING TOPICS
  • COSTS

“It was wonderful that Josephine Fairly could speak at our first ‘An Evening with Women in Business’ event.  Her openness and honesty about her business development provided everyone with plenty of food for thought to add value and help grow their own businesses.” – Smith Partnership

“I have received such positive feedback from across the company about how insightful, entertaining, and engaging your talk was. The fact that you tailored your story, which is equally inspiring on its own, to also reflect on insights into ATG was the perfect fit for the day. With of course the very generous added bonus of a bit of chocolate for everyone!” – Ambassador Theatre Group

“An absolute pleasure to work with and hugely engaging with the guests in sharing her story and inspiring others. Really looking forward to working with Jo again.” – Wilson Hartnell PR (Organisers of Allied Irish Bank event ‘Backing a Sustainable Future’).

“Jo was the perfect speaker for our International Women’s Day Business Breakfast. Thought-provoking, inspirational, insightful and engaging, we’ve had really great feedback from our clients. A pleasure to work with and an ideal speaker for our audience of entrepreneurs and business people. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her.” – Julie, PR & Marketing Officer – BE Offices.

“I wanted to extend my deepest thanks for your inspiring contribution to the Sustainability Seminar yesterday. Your talk truly resonated with the audience. I’ve received so many positive comments from the companies in attendance, who greatly appreciated your candid, heartfelt reflections on building a business through hard work and purpose. Your message that sustainability is not optional, but rather a core value and certainly not a cost, struck a chord with many. It was a much-needed compelling reminder of the role businesses can play in shaping a better future.” – Martin, Bord Bia

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming to our event on Monday. We had brilliant feedback from everyone that attended – it was along the lines of ‘inspiring speaker’, ‘engaging and humourous’ and ‘amazing career story’. Other interesting feedback… it was great to have a story from a woman where there haven’t been significant barriers because of gender.” – Bernadette, Senior Counsel of International Acquisition Finance, Mizuho Bank

“Jo was absolutely fantastic! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the call and found her to be interesting and inspiring. Our CEO was one of the people on the call and he loved the effort that was put into her slides and talk. Just to note that Jo was super professional by setting up calls to have run throughs and she was really enjoyable to work with.” – UNiDAYS

“I really enjoyed hearing Jo speak and thought the content was uplifting and positive, a great story to hear for IWD.” – OC&C Strategy Consultants

  • Business Management
  • Sustainability & ESG
  • Business Success
  • Leadership
  • Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • Marketing & Branding

The cost of hiring Jo Fairley depends on your event format, location, duration and any travel requirements. For an accurate and tailored quote, please contact a SpeakOut booking agent for expert guidance.