Julia Bickerstaff
about julia

 

Who am I?


The early years
My parents happened to be living in Lincolnshire when I was born, but when I was not much more than a couple of months old we moved into the first of twelve houses, dotted around the English and German countryside, that I would call home during my childhood.

 

My father was an RAF officer so my sister and I grew up in the rather rarefied world of RAF stations and boarding school. The latter was situated half way up a mountain in the Lake District vaguely near Windermere.

 

So really it was no surprise that when the opportunity of university beckoned I did the only thing that a young lady in her shopping and partying prime could do; I headed for London.

 

 

The London years
I did my degree in Economics at The London School of Economics (LSE) and I majored in Accounting & Finance; not because I was particularly interested in accounting but because, out of the thirty or so majors on offer, it was the only one that I knew anything about.

 

Of course it turned out that I didn’t really know what Accounting & Finance was, so my university years turned out to be – how should I put it- enlightening.

 

Yet when it came to getting my first proper job (excluding bar work, McDonalds and sales assistant in the outsize ladies clothing department at Selfridges) I decided to take a role as a trainee accountant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

 

Eight years later, having qualified as a Chartered Accountant and risen to the exalted heights of manager (even despite a hiatus to attend drama school; it was brief, I lacked talent) I embarked on a two year secondment to Sydney.

 
The Sydney years
The two year trip to Sydney was thirteen years ago; I am still here.

Shortly after arriving I hopped Accounting firms, met my (English) husband and settled into the Australian way of life. In 2000 I was made a partner at Deloitte and then proceeded to procreate, having three children in quick succession.

 

I decided that 2008 would be the year to do some of the "one day I will...." stuff so I left Deloitte to embark on some of the things that I had been meaning to do for years -  start a business, write a book, and spend the summer holidays with the children…..

About Julia – quick professional history

 

Current roles

  • Partner, Deloitte Growth Solutions
  • Leader, Deloitte early growth companies segment
  • Leader, Deloitte Technology Fast 50
  • Chair, Deloitte Innovation Council
  • Member,  Deloitte Innovation Executive
  • Member, Deloitte Inspiring Women Executive
  • Director, Deloitte Foundation
  • Director, Asthma Foundation of NSW

 

Experience

 

For the last 20 years I have worked with such an eclectic mix of clients that it’s really quite hard to summarise the experience. So, just to give you an idea, here are a few of the industries my clients have operated in:

 

Industries

 

Technology, fashion (designer and high-street; manufacture and retail), property, mining, advertising, media, food (manufacture, wholesale and retail), health, beauty, consultanting, professional services, general retail…..and lots more.

 

And the businesses have come in many shapes and sizes to, including:

 

Types of business

 

Entrepreneurial, family business, venture-capital backed, start ups subsidiaries of overseas companies, Kitchen Table Tycoons, small listed companies and those embarking on the IPO road.

 

Qualifications

 

ACA: Chartered Accountant - member of the both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) and Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

 

BSc Econ: Degree in Economics from The London School of Economics

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