Julie held the positions of Chief Operating and Financial Officer and Executive Director of Burberry Group plc from 2017 to 2023, before taking over as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of GSK plc on May 1, 2023. After working for 25 years at AstraZeneca PLC in a variety of finance, commercial, and strategic capacities, including as regional and country president and, more recently, as interim group CFO, Julie also served as group CFO of Smith & Nephew plc from 2013 to 2017. She has a wealth of experience in business transformation, financial and strategic issues, and executive leadership in large, multinational companies that are listed in the UK and are in the consumer goods and health sciences industries.
Apart from her executive positions, Julie served as the Audit Chair and Non-Executive Director of Roche Holding AG between 2016 and 2022. She has also been a part of the UK Prime Minister’s Business Council. Having completed her training at KPMG, she is a Fellow of both the Institute of Taxation and the Institute of Chartered Accountancy.
Julie’s announcement that she will be joining the Board and taking Alan’s place as the Audit Committee Chair in August thrilled him. Julie has extensive experience working in worldwide companies operating in highly regulated industries, holding strategic, commercial, and financial roles. She has a strong commitment to fostering diversity in the workplace and generating long-term, sustainable benefit for all parties involved. He is excited about her input during board meetings and about collaborating with her to advance Diageo’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most reputable and trustworthy consumer goods companies.
Alan Stewart, a director since 2014 and the chair of the audit committee since 2017, is thanked on behalf of the board. Throughout this time, Alan has served Diageo with great distinction, and we have benefited immensely from his knowledge and strategic advice. We want the best for him in the future.
