Business Daily

CEO of the Folio Society, Joanna Reynolds

Jan 16, 2026
Joanna Reynolds is the Managing Director and turnaround specialist who rejuvenated the Folio Society, transforming it from a struggling subscription model to a thriving employee-owned publisher. She discusses the challenges of the digital era, the importance of crafting beautiful books, and the pivotal shift from a failing book club to successful sales. With insights on attracting younger readers and fostering employee pride through shared ownership, Joanna highlights the resilience of high-quality hardbacks and how her own dyslexia shaped her leadership.
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ANECDOTE

Crafting Books As Objects Of Beauty

  • Joanna Reynolds describes the Folio Society's origins and craft in physical books.
  • She illustrates how handcrafted features make books objects to be cherished, not just read.
INSIGHT

Subscription Model Created Complacency

  • The legacy book-club model created complacency and slowed change at Folio.
  • Joanna saw the model was dying and recognised it blocked customer-centric innovation.
ANECDOTE

Last 200k And A 20% Catalogue Response

  • Joanna found Folio down to the last £200k and saw metrics in freefall.
  • A 20% response to a paper Christmas catalogue convinced her there was a highly committed customer base to build on.
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