Jo Fairley Keynote Speaker

Co-Founder of Green & Black's, now worth almost £100 million
One of the UK's leading entrepreneurs
Speaks about leadership, entrepreneurship, CSR, environmental issues in business, and being a woman in business

Jo Fairley's Biography

Jo Fairley is the Co-Founder of Green & Black’s and one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs. She is an inspirational businesswoman and speaks about topics such as leadership, entrepreneurship, CSR, environmental issues in business, and being a woman in business.

Jo left school at 16 and in 1991, co-founded Green & Black’s from a Portobello road bedroom. It was a combination of Jo’s keen business acumen and absolute dedication that took the business from its humble roots to approaching a £100 million-a-year global brand today.

Often called a ‘serial entrepreneur’, Jo is also Founder of the award-winning, natural and organic bakery, Judges Bakery; a boutique wellness centre in Hastings, The Wellington Centre; and of The Perfume Society, which encourages the exploration and development of our sense of smell. She is the Editor of its magazine, The Scented Letter.

She has received many awards and accolades throughout her career, including the WorldAware Award, Soil Association Awards and The Shackleton Medal for Leadership and citizenship from The Scottish Royal Geographical Society. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University, in Business Studies.

As a speaker, Jo shares her business insights. She has spoken for several FTSE 100 companies, universities, financial institutions, and for clients across the globe. She always tailors her talk to the needs of the client and has a catalogue of stories and lessons to share from her journey with Green & Black’s.

She built Green & Black’s from a Portobello Road bedroom into a global brand approaching £100 million a year, bringing founder-level credibility on scaling with purpose.
She translates hard-earned lessons in entrepreneurship and leadership into practical insight leaders can apply to growth, resilience and decision-making under pressure.
She brings authoritative perspective on responsible business, drawing on a career recognised by major awards for leadership, citizenship and sustainability.
Her talks equip organisations to embed CSR and environmental thinking into strategy and culture, while inspiring audiences with a candid lens on being a woman in business.

Articles, Media & Podcasts

Jo Fairley on Desert Island Discs [Radio 4 Podcast]

BBC Radio 4: Desert Island Discs

Comments & Testimonials

‘Huge thanks to Jo for her webinar with our team. Everyone at Fiit really enjoyed it and the office is buzzing after hearing her awesome (and often hilarious!) story and insights.’

Fiit

‘Jo was an absolute star when we booked her to be out keynote speaker and fireside chat host. She was well-prepared, dealt masterfully with the technology and was a highlight for all attendees at the event. As entrepreneurs, they were all inspired by her story.’

British Business Bank