Julie is the second new addition to the Trustee Board to be co-opted last Autumn and she brings a very different perspective to the Board.

She currently works in the Charity sector as a Director of Finance and Resources,  however, her previous finance experience spans both commercial and public roles, having worked for large corporates such as Nissan and Scottish Newcastle Breweries, as well as local authorities.

Julie has been a keen student throughout her life and has gained a variety  of professional and academic qualifications, including an MBA. In addition, she has been the lecturer as well as the student, having previously taught accounting and finance subjects  at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels..

Julie’s unique perspective

You may be surprised to hear that Julie is not a dentist and in fact battled with a serious phobia of dentists that developed in childhood. Thankfully, she was able to connect with a dentist who specialised in supporting anxious patients and although it took a number of years (and an enormous amount of patience), he literally changed her life with his approach, to the extent that she (almost) enjoys a trip to the dentist nowadays.

Over the years she has developed a strong relationship  with both her dentist and the wider dental team, and she also has friends who are dentists, so she had heard about the BDA Benevolent Fund and the work it does to support UK dental students, dentists, and their families.

“My friend is a dentist and so I’ve heard about the demands of the industry and how stressful it can be.”

Serendipity then intervened and Julie came across the job advert for a Trustee.

“I have worked with a variety of Boards and Trustees throughout my career but this is the first time I have taken on the role of Trustee myself. I believe my commercial background and range of experience in finance, HR and governance will be the strongest skillset I bring to the Charity. I’m keen to learn more and support the dental community by helping dentists build their financial and emotional resilience. After all, a happy dentist will be better placed to support their patients.”

It’s not all about work

Julie’s appetite  for new experiences doesn’t stop at work and study. She also enjoys visiting new countries and learning about different cultures. Some of her previous destinations have included Boliva, where she cycled down ‘Death Road, and Kyiv, where she was able to spend time in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which was utterly fascinating. Her most recent trip involved travelling from the North of England to Hong Kong entirely by train.  

Her social calendar is carefully managed. She spends regular time with her mum and enjoys the company of a thriving circle of close friends. Together they explore the outdoors and enjoy time at the cinema, music gigs and the theatre, with the musical ‘Hamilton’ being a firm favourite.

Julie is also a keen animal lover. She is currently outnumbered by three ungrateful cats who moved in with her on a ‘short term fostering basis,’ and who have been merrily shredding her curtains and wallpaper for almost fourteen years now.