{{Short description|British editor (born 1962)}} {{about||the English motorcycle racer|Joanne Coles|other people with similar names|Joanna Cole (disambiguation)}} {{BLP sources|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Joanna Coles | image = Joanna Coles (81774).jpg | alt = | caption = Time's Up event at the 2018 [[Tribeca Film Festival]] | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|4|20|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Otley]], West Yorkshire, England | nationality = | other_names = | alma_mater = [[University of East Anglia]] | occupation = Former chief content officer, Hearst Magazines | spouse = {{marriage|[[Peter Godwin]]|2001|2019|reason=divorce}} | children = 2 | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = editor-in-chief ''Marie Claire'', editor-in-chief ''Cosmopolitan'', executive producer ''The Bold Type'', author of ''Love Rules'' | boards = }}

'''Joanna Louise Coles''' (born 20 April 1962) is the chief creative and content officer for ''[[The Daily Beast]]''. She was [[chief content officer]] for [[Hearst Communications|Hearst Magazines]] from 2016 to 2018.

Coles started her career at ''[[The Spectator]]'' and moved to the US in 1997 to become bureau chief of ''[[The Guardian]]'', later joining ''[[The Times]]''.

In 2006, she joined Hearst as editor-in-chief of ''[[Marie Claire]]'' magazine, then ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'' (2012–2016), before becoming the company's chief content officer in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hearst.com/-/joanna-coles-named-chief-content-officer-of-hearst-magazines|title=Joanna Coles Named Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines |publisher= Hearst|website=www.hearst.com|date=September 6, 2016|access-date=2020-03-29}}</ref>

Coles' foray into television began with the [[Style Network (Australian TV channel)|Style Network's]] ''[[Running in Heels]],'' which she co-created and executive produced; she was a mentor on [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime's]] ''[[Project Runway All Stars|Project Runway: All-Stars]]'' and executive produced the [[E!]] reality series ''[[So Cosmo]],'' in which she also appeared on camera. She is an executive producer for ''[[The Bold Type]]'', a scripted series airing on [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]] (formerly known as [[Abc family|ABC Family]]) and [[Hulu]].

She is on the boards of [[Snap Inc.|Snap]], the parent company of [[Snapchat]]; [[Sonos]], an American audio equipment manufacturer; Density Software (density.io), which provides AI-powered occupancy analytics for physical spaces;<ref>{{Cite web |title=From Coffee Shop Lines to Global Impact |url=https://www.density.io/resources/kleiner |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=www.density.io |language=en}}</ref> and the clean beauty company Blue Mistral. She is the author of ''Love Rules''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/style/article/You-can-t-microwave-love-says-former-12846066.php|title='You can't microwave love,' says former Cosmo editor Joanna Coles|first=Tony|last=Bravo|date=2018-04-19|website=SFChronicle.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-29}}</ref>'','' published by [[HarperCollins]]; the book was optioned for TV by [[ABC Signature]] and [[FX (TV channel)|FX]]. In 2019, she signed a [[first-look deal]] with [[ABC Studios]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/joanna-coles-first-look-deal-abc-studios-abc-signature-1202588649/|title=Joanna Coles Inks First-Look Deal With ABC Studios/ABC Signature|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2019-04-04|website=Deadline|language=en|access-date=2020-03-29}}</ref>

== Early life == Joanna Coles was born in [[Otley]], West Yorkshire, England, in 1962. Her mother was a medical social worker and her father a teacher. Much of her family still resides in Yorkshire.

In 1972, at the age of 10, Coles had her first article published in the children's section of the ''[[The Yorkshire Post|Yorkshire Post]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Day|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/oct/14/joanna-coles-us-cosmopolitan-editor-interview|title=Joanna Coles, US Cosmopolitan: 'I love working with smart young women'|date=2012-10-13|work=The Observer|access-date=2020-03-29|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}</ref>

She attended [[Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley]], and the [[University of East Anglia]], where she graduated with a degree in English and American Literature.

== Career == ===Journalism=== Joanna Coles began her journalism career in 1984 on ''[[The Spectator]]''. In 1987, she started work as a reporter for ''[[The Daily Telegraph]],'' before moving to the staff at ''The Guardian'' in 1989. In 1993, she co-created, wrote and presented [[BBC Radio 4 Extra|BBC Radio 4's]] "Mediumwave," a live weekly radio show about the media; and wrote and presented ''Late Media,'' the TV version on [[BBC Two|BBC2]].

In June 1997, Coles moved to the United States to be ''The Guardian''{{'}}s New York [[bureau chief]].

Coles was the articles editor of ''[[The New-York Magazine|New York Magazine]]'' from 2001 to 2004 before becoming executive editor of ''More.''

==== Hearst ==== In 2006, Coles made the move to [[Hearst Communications|Hearst]] to become editor-in-chief of ''[[Marie Claire]]'' magazine. Under her leadership, the magazine produced its most successful issue in September 2012, while also launching two extensions (Marie Claire@Work,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hearst.com/-/marie-claire-work-a-hit-with-readers-and-advertisers-alike|title=Marie Claire @Work: A Hit with Readers and Advertisers Alike|publisher= Hearst|first=Abigail|last= Alderman|website=www.hearst.com|date=17 April 2012|access-date=2020-03-29}}</ref> and the Women on Top Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/women-on-top-awards|title=Women on Top|last=Moura|first=Sophie|date=2011-10-20|website=Marie Claire|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-29}}</ref>). She was named [[Adweek]]'s 2011 Editor of the Year for her work. During this time, Coles began her foray into television with a show called ''[[Running in Heels]]'' about ''Marie Claire'' interns, as well as appearing on [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime's]] [[Emmy Award|Emmy]]-winning show ''[[Project Runway]]''.

Coles was appointed as&nbsp;editor-in-chief of ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'' magazine in 2012. Though she only had oversight of the print platform, the digital team made ''Cosmo'' a leader in the media landscape by partnering with [[Snapchat]] to produce daily ''Cosmo'' content on the discover platform. She later joined the board of [[Snap Inc.|Snap Inc]]., the parent company of Snapchat. She also brought the brand to television, executive producing the [[E!]] reality series ''[[So Cosmo]]''. In 2013 she ran a 20-page excerpt of ''[[Lean In]]''. Coles turned the magazine away from its "pleasing your man" approach towards women's empowerment.

In 2016, it was announced that Joanna Coles would become Hearst's first [[chief content officer]]. She described her responsibility as CCO as “thinking the way we produce content.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecut.com/2018/07/how-i-get-it-done-joanna-coles.html|title=How I Get It Done: Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazine|last=Erlich|first=Jessica Prince|date=2018-07-03|website=The Cut|language=en-us|access-date=2020-03-29}}</ref> In 2018, after 12 years at Hearst, she exited the company after being passed over for the title of president of the magazine division.

=== Television === Coles' first TV project launched when she arrived at Hearst as editor-in-chief of ''Marie Claire'', where she co-created and executive produced ''Running in Heels,'' a reality show that followed three interns working at the magazine.

''[[So Cosmo]]'' was announced in December 2016, with Coles as an executive producer as well as appearing on camera. She followed the personal and professional lives of several staff members of ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]].''

Continuing the trend of ''Cosmo''-focused shows, in 2017, ''[[The Bold Type]]'' premiered on Freeform, of which she is an executive producer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/how-accurate-is-the-bold-type-to-joanna-coles-life-at-cosmopolitan-the-show-is-inspired-by-her-decades-long-career-69311|title=Joanna Coles Says 'The Bold Type' Is 'Loosely Inspired' By Her Friends & Career|first= Dana |last=Getz|date=July 11, 2017|website=Bustle|language=en|access-date=2020-03-30}}</ref> The show has been nominated for three [[Teen Choice Awards]], a [[Satellite Awards|Satellite Award]], an [[Imagen Awards|Imagen]] Award, and a [[GLAAD Media Award]].

In April 2019, Coles signed a two-year first-look deal with [[ABC Studios]]. In the announcement, it was said that "under the pact, the former CCO will be developing and executive producing projects for multiple platforms with focus on streaming and cable."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/joanna-coles-first-look-deal-abc-studios-abc-signature-1202588649/|title=Joanna Coles Inks First-Look Deal With ABC Studios/ABC Signature|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2019-04-04|website=Deadline|language=en|access-date=2020-03-30}}</ref>

=== Other ventures === Coles is an advocate for women in media and the business world. She sits on the board of Women's Entrepreneurs New York City,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://we.nyc/about-we-nyc/|title=About WE NYC {{!}} WE NYC|website=we.nyc|access-date=2020-03-30}}</ref> an initiative to expand female entrepreneurship with a focus on underserved women and communities. Coles hosts an annual holiday lunch for 120 top women in media.

Coles is on the boards of public companies Snap Inc. and Sonos and private companies such as [[:de:Grover Group|Grover]], Density and Blue Mistral.

Coles wrote ''Love Rules: How To Find a Real Relationship in a Digital World.'' published by HarperCollins in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062652584/love-rules/ |title=Love Rules |website=Harper Collins |access-date= }}</ref>

===Awards=== Coles has won awards for journalism, including, when she was editor-in-chief of ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'', the [[American Society of Magazine Editors|American Society of Magazine Editors']] first-ever [[National Magazine Awards|National Magazine Award]] in the Personal Service category, for a guide to contraception.{{efn|"Your Guide to Contraception" was published in the September, 2013 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'', and was awarded by the [[American Society of Magazine Editors]] on May 1, 2014. ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine's ''[[The Cut (publication)|The Cut]]'' wrote, "Coles took home the magazine's first-ever [[National Magazine Awards|National Magazine Award]], a service journalism prize for "How Not to Get Pregnant." The contraception guide itself was refreshingly honest (pulling out is 'better than nothing,' it advised) — but in some ways the award seemed symbolic, an acknowledgment of the sex bible's broader move into political and reproductive health coverage since Coles took over in 2012. This shift — and its success — is also a triumph for the ladyblog style of female media."<ref>{{cite web |last=Stoeffel |first=Kat |date=May 6, 2014 |title=Cosmo's ASME Is a Win for All Women's Media |url=https://www.thecut.com/2014/05/cosmos-asme-is-a-win-for-all-womens-media.html |work=[[The Cut (publication)|The Cut]] |access-date=October 15, 2025}}</ref>}} She won a [[The Matrix Awards|Matrix Award]] for Women in Communication in 2013, and she was named an Editor of the Year by [[Adweek]].&nbsp;

==Personal life== Coles has two sons with [[Peter Godwin]] and resides in New York.

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}} {{commons category}} {{Authority control}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coles, Joanna}} [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of East Anglia]] [[Category:Fashion editors]] [[Category:Cosmopolitan (magazine) editors]] [[Category:Mass media people from Leeds]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:People educated at Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley]] [[Category:People from Otley]] [[Category:Political podcasters]] [[Category:Snap Inc. people]]