Jo Fairley
Founder of global ethical brand Green & Black’s
*Fees are a guide only. Exact cost will be dependent on requirements and are subject to change.
About Jo Fairley
Leaving school at 16 with just six O Levels, Jo’s career began in publishing, where she became the UK’s youngest-ever magazine editor. She later channelled her creativity, commercial instincts and determination into launching Green & Black’s in 1991, helping to revolutionise the premium chocolate market while championing ethical sourcing and sustainable business practices long before they became mainstream.
Following the success of Green & Black’s, Jo has established herself as a serial entrepreneur, founding and developing a number of successful ventures, including Judges Bakery, an award-winning organic food business, The Wellington Centre, a boutique wellbeing centre, and The Perfume Society, the influential fragrance platform and publisher of the multi-award-winning magazine The Scented Letter.
Recognised for her achievements in business and sustainability, Jo has received numerous awards and honours, including an Honorary Doctorate in Business Studies from Kingston University and the prestigious Shackleton Medal for leadership and citizenship.
Today, Jo shares the lessons learned from building purpose-driven brands, leading through uncertainty and creating businesses that balance profit with positive impact. Drawing on decades of entrepreneurial experience, she delivers engaging, practical and inspiring keynote presentations on entrepreneurship, sustainable business, leadership, innovation, resilience, women in business and managing change.
Combining real-world business insight with warmth, honesty and humour, Jo leaves audiences motivated to think differently, embrace opportunity and build organisations that thrive in an ever-changing world.
To book Keynote Speaker Jo Fairley, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com
Jo highlights the determination needed and the risks involved in building a business and exploiting a niche market. She also demonstrates the power of branding, how business can be both ethical and highly successful, and why you should never underestimate the intelligence of the consumer.
The tale of Green & Black’s has now become a blueprint for sustainable business everywhere. It is studied in business schools and and has been featured in countless newspaper stories. These include from ‘Newsweek’ to the UK’s ‘The Daily Telegraph’: a true, modern-day business adventure. Jo she has an exceptional understanding of brand creation and development and talent for sharing that experience and insightful knowledge.
With her background as a female entrepreneur and creator of Green & Black’s, Jo’s presentations deliver a real insight into how to create, launch and grow a brand. Green & Black’s was started with just £20,000 of her savings, and grew into a brand worth £100 million worldwide in less than 20 years. Despite its widespread global availability, Green & Black’s has retained its luxury cachet: it is the only food brand to be featured in the UK’s CoolBrands Top 20.
Jo’s presentations can address how ethical issues are becoming more important to consumers (over £500 million worth of Fairtrade goods will be sold in the UK per year alone) and how working for a company with a strong CSR programme can boost team spirit and dedication. She talks about the many lessons learned along the path to business success, including the emotional aspect of building a brand and then ‘letting go’, when it’s sold on, as well as the importance of design, branding, PR and marketing. (Jo remains an ambassador for Green & Black’s.)
Client Feedback
"Jo did exactly what we wanted by rounding off the conference on a high, reminding the delegates of what it is we are all aiming to achieve and sending them off with a very positive message about business support and social impact. She completely captivated the group with her story and she certainly received the biggest round of applause at the end of her session."
National Federation of Enterprise Agencies
"Jo met the brief and event objectives 100%. She handled everything with the up-most professionalism and managed to keep the client at ease through every phase of the project. The reaction was very positive, Jo successfully engaged with the media. Event feedback included, informative, well-balanced presentation and rich in relevant content."
Beauty Seen PR
"Jo is an engaging and accommodating speaker; she did a fantastic job of connecting with the audience, providing witty anecdotes and a history of her fascinating career which was highly relevant to attendees who were generally marketing and market research professionals. The breadth of her experience, business history, and hands-on background was beautifully described."
Senior Fieldwork Manager – Acumen Fieldwork
"Jo Fairley is an exceptional as a speaker. She is confident, engaging, thoughtful and always thought-provoking. She makes the extraordinary tale of her business success seem so attainable – and that is what makes her truly inspiring."
Quality and Development Manager – Research Opinions
"From Green & Black’s to the Beauty Bible, Jo Fairley brought her vast knowledge and experience in business and delivered an excellent keynote speech. She has a natural charm and energy; and she has genuine enthusiasm for the ethics of her business practices. It was very refreshing to hear a talk which had such honesty, integrity and humour all combined in one."
Associate Director – Update Field Services
