Laura Tenison

JoJo Maman Bébé & Wonderful Escapes

Until 2022, Laura Tenison was the Founder and CEO of JoJo Maman Bébé, at the time the UK’s leading independent mother and baby brand. The business was digital first, supported by localised stores with growing trade sales into the US, EU and Middle East. Laura instigated a total sale of the business to NEXT Plc and Davidson Kempner PE, leaving the board in place to run the business as a standalone entity to maintain its exceptional market position.

Laura grew JoJo organically from the launch in 1993 with £50,000 start-up capital and 2 employees, to sales circa £71M the year she sold. Pre the Covid-19 pandemic, she also ran the fully owned US subsidiary, with stores, e-commerce, trade sales and a local DC.

Under Laura’s leadership JoJo was a trailblazer in better business practices, including: being the largest all female British board of directors; leading the way for inclusivity and diversity in modelling; using recycled fabrics in manufacturing; offering employee profit share schemes; employing those serving prison sentences; offering job opportunities to past asylum seekers; running the company charity based in Mozambique; counting Down’s Syndrome employees among the team; up-cycling shop-fit; and even being a dog friendly work place. This founding ethos of putting people and the planet above profit resulted in JoJo achieving Certified B Corporation status very early in the movement.

Laura previously ran a made-to-measure fashion company she had started whilst at school, spending months travelling in Syria, India and the Far East sourcing fabrics and factories. Failing to secure the bank lending to scale the business, Laura noticed a gap in the market for a niche property agency based in Brittany, France. This service industry required little start-up capital and grew swiftly. It was sold as a going concern, giving her the capital to return to fashion, and launch JoJo.

Over the next 30 years JoJo grew into a global brand with 99 stores across the UK, Ireland, and the US, employing 1,000 people directly and thousands more via the sub-contracted supply chain. The business delivered quality at mid-market prices, exceptional product innovation, bringing to market hundreds of styles, designs and nursery products which have since become family essentials.

Laura has worked as a Charity Trustee and lectured in schools and universities. She enjoys giving inspirational and information speeches to groups, business conferences and at networking events. She has lectured in Europe, France and Nigeria, the home country of her in-law family. Her subject matter is varied and covers environmental and ethical business practices, and innovative and entrepreneurial thinking. Her energy and enthusiasm for her subject is infectious, leaving her audiences re-energised to face their next challenge.

Her style is candid and informative whilst being entertaining. She has also appeared on TV and radio programmes and has taken part in the BBC’s Peter Jones Meets, Beat the Boss, The Apprentice You’re Fired, and been interviewed numerous times across all news channels.