Team Profile: Julie Hyam Elliott

Julie Hyam Elliott is a company director, entrepreneur and leading business growth strategist.

Finance and strategy are the most essential tools we have in business today and it impacts every aspect of an organisation. That is why Julie is so passionate in creating strategies that disrupt and transform. She is proud to have been one of the first females at NAB to run a Business Banking Centre and then went on to be CEO of Bank of Sydney, which allowed her to champion other women in financial services. Empowering women about finance is her passion. She believes that educating and informing women on how to be in charge of their own future is the most important impact she can have.

Julie is currently working as a Board Chair and Committee Member for NSW Department of Industry, Australian Invoice Finance, P&N Bank and NSW Trustee & Guardian. She enjoys the diversity of this work as it enables her to keep her finger on the pulse of the business and financial services industry. 

For Julie, connection and collaboration are not simply approaches to corporate leadership but are necessary for excellingin corporate leadership. Julie’s six years as Chair of State of Trustees (2008 – June 2014) saw her introducing more inclusive and modern operating systems. A key strategy was to elevate the engagement between the executive management team and the board by increasing the involvement of management in board meetings and introducing opportunities for the board and the management team to interact informally.

As a ‘change champion,’ Julie is passionate about bringing about measurable organisational transformation; increasing shareholder value while balancing diverse stakeholder needs. This has translated to real bottom-line results throughout her Board and CEO tenures.

As CEO of Bank of Sydney (2013 – January 2016)and only the second woman to run a bank in Australia, Julie lay charge to re-vitalising the Bank of Sydney by re-invigorating the leadership team, embedding a culture of achievement and ownership, via collaboration. The Bank of Sydney achieved its best results in its history: a 23% increase in revenue (while holding costs), a 88% increase in operating profits, a 33% increase in the loan book and a 44% increase in deposits.

As a Regional Manager within Westpac (2008 – 2013) Julie worked to transform the performance of the business by creating a culture of collaboration. She expanded her team and optimised the day-to-day operations, which saw the region’s position elevated from 24th out of 34 to 4th out of 55 and exceeded portfolio growth targets and contribution by 50%.

At the same time as developing her corporate career, Julie became the first woman to chair the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board in Melbourne. A role she thrived in through the fostering of a collaborative spirit, trust, respect, and a commitment to performance and quality.

“As songwriter Drake sings, ‘Live without pretending, love without depending, listen without defending and speak without offending.’ To me, this is what creates true connection and trust. It’s a great way to live your life.”

Julie joins Twalk as an Executive Mentor, working with leaders on their own development and to assist them in making their next move, either within the organisation or on to their next milestone externally. Julie enjoys taking businesses to new heights and creating a future-proof strategy in today’s rapidly changing landscape. Julie brings great passion, energy, experience and drive to the team.

Find out more about Julie and the rest of the Twalk team: https://twalk.com.au/about-us/#team