Julie is a graduate of the Open University and was awarded a

Doctorate in 2005 for her research into Prison Education. Her career in

education spans 35 years, starting as a parttime teacher in adult education and culminating in the role of Chief Executive at the Milton Keynes College Group.

Julie also led the College’s Prison Education Team for several years and led a consortium of employers including Microsoft, KPMG and McAfee in a successful bid to central government to establish The South Central Institute of Technology, in Bletchley. She was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to education and in bringing education and employers together. She was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in April 2023.

Julie continues to champion inclusion and social mobility through her roles as chair of the Helena Kennedy Foundation and Women Leaders UK