Joanna Coles

A powerhouse who revolutionized Cosmopolitan, one of the best-known women’s brands, The New York Times has called Joanna Coles “one of the most powerful people in media.”

A: £25k and over

Keynote Speakers, After Dinner Speakers Social Media, Business, Diversity & Equality, Marketing & Branding, Retail

As the first chief content officer of Hearst Magazines, Joanna Coles guides the editorial and brand development for one of the world’s largest media companies—comprised of 300 magazines globally.

Coles leads new magazine development activities and spearheads efforts to extend into television, live events, and other new platforms. After joining Hearst in 2006 as editor-in-chief of fashion content powerhouse Marie Claire, Coles was named editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the largest women’s media brand in the world, in 2012.

She quickly expanded Cosmo’s reach by pushing the boundaries beyond its traditional fashion and relationships content, joining the board of Snapchat (now Snap Inc.) in 2015, after being an early champion of the platform when other brands were still skeptical. Upon creating the role of chief content officer, Hearst Magazines president David Carey said Coles “has a creative, curious mind and her boundless energy will be an integral part of all we do.”

Coles is also an author, television co-creator, and executive producer—her current projects span from a scripted TV series based on her life as an editor, The Bold Type on ABC’s Freeform network, and a docu-series, So Cosmo, for E!, to a new book titled Love Rules on relationships in the digital age. Informed by a career in all aspects of the media landscape, Coles imparts her expertise on the intersection of business, publishing, technology, and marketing.