Facilitator of strategy and driver of strategic change. Experienced Managing Director across industries. Over twenty years in sustainable development, strategy development, transformation management, operations management, communication, and organizational leadership. Currently Managing Director, Grootbos Foundation; and Independent Sustainability Consultant. 

Julie is an experienced managing director with a demonstrated history of working across the disciplines of finance, shared services, operations, and corporate affairs; within a variety of industries, including financial services, management consulting, tourism, non-profit/ CSR, social development and civil society. Companies she has worked with include Standard Bank, Distell, BMGi, the National Bank of Australia, The Long Run and National Geographic. 

She is highly versatile and a progressive and analytical thinker with proven problem solving and sound decision-making abilities. Julie drives delivery through skilled negotiation and the influence of Board of Directors and enterprise leaders; as well as through the leadership and development of high-performing teams. 

Julie’s various roles over the past twenty years have focused on engaging and enabling the executive leadership of blue-chip organizations to develop the capabilities and infrastructure they require for the successful deployment of strategic direction. She is experienced in transformation, sustainable development and shared value business modeling, both from a corporate and NGO management perspective. 

She is currently the Managing Director of the Grootbos Foundation and the Head of Strategy, Partnerships and Responsible Tourism at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. Her achievements include quadrupling the turnover of the Grootbos Foundation, over a 3-year period. Her team developed the Grootbos Foundation’s Employability curriculum for high school students, provides Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy training to 100 young people annually, and has provided seed funding and mentorship to start 100+ small enterprises in under-resourced communities since 2014.

Julie is passionate about the development of progressive systems where business drives social development, natural regeneration and economic inclusion for all. She is dedicated to community development, conservation and the empowerment of women.

Julie has commercial qualifications and extensive C-level management and consulting experience coupled with post-graduate Executive Development, Six Sigma (Black Belt), and Program Management Certifications. She was selected to serve on the National Geographic Unique Lodges Advisory Council 2018/19 and 2019/20; and has been an independent Long Run sustainability auditor/ assessor since 2017.