Julie Williamson, PhD
CEO, Managing Partner
Author & Experienced Keynote Speaker
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Julie is a Managing Partner at Karrikins Group as well as an experienced keynote speaker and published author. A leading voice in how alignment can transform leaders and organizations, Julie has worked around the world with some of the largest companies, helping them set and execute on strategy and transformation.
Julie is interested in how executive engagement happens and how leadership teams form and un-form. Her deep understanding of behavioral science combined with her executive experience and business acumen allows her to push past the barriers that hold back teams from finding alignment, transforming organizations and accelerating growth.
I’m passionate about Making HOW Matter for leaders and teams so that they can do amazing, transformational things together.
Background and Experience
Over her career, Julie has worked with many of the world’s most impactful companies, helping them set and deliver on strategy and transformation through powerfully aligned leadership. Julie has also worked with small, local organizations (for profit, non-profit, and government) to drive aligned leadership as they grow their revenue and impact on their communities, customers and team members.
In addition to her consultative work, Julie has also taught undergraduate and graduate level courses on organizational strategy, behavior, and change, and uses her consulting experience to help students connect the theoretical concepts to real-world applications.
A published author, her work with Peter Sheahan on the book “MATTER: Create more value, move beyond the competition, and become the obvious choice” highlights Julie’s commitment to working with clients on opportunities for growth and development. Her many articles, podcasts, and speaking engagements incorporate her professional and academic experiences to help clients and students expand their thinking on how to have impact and create growth through organizational alignment.
- Thought Leader on Forbes Business Council
- Contributor to CEO Magazine
- Stevie Awards Silver Award Recipient: Female Executive of the Year – Business Services – 10 employees or less
- Founding Member of the International Business Circle
- Adjunct Professor at University of Colorado Denver Business School
- Vice President of The North Highland Company
- Senior Principal at CGI-AMS
- PhD in Organizational Communication from University of Colorado at Boulder
- MBA in Finance and Marketing from University of Denver
- BA in Information Systems and English from James Madison University
Learn More From Julie
Recent Articles and Resources
Check out Julie's recent articles for her thought leadership on executive alignment, strategy, and more.
The Power of Aligned Leadership with Dr Julie Williamson [Podcast]
Misaligned Leaders Are Killing Transformation [A Women in Leadership Publication Article]
1:1 Executive Leadership Q&A with Julie Williamson, PhD: An Interview With Doug Noll
Published Author of “Matter: Move Beyond the Competition, Create More Value, and Become the Obvious Choice”
Karrikins Group offers keynote speaking and breakout session facilitation covering topics around leadership, organizational innovation and transformation, and more. Our keynote speakers inspire clients and students to expand their thinking on how to have impact and create growth through organizational alignment.
Companies and people that matter have successfully become the obvious choice in the hearts and minds of their customers, their employees, and their communities. They elevate themselves by consistently finding ways to solve the most pressing needs their markets face.
The result? They create more value year after year and build a sustainable, differentiated organization.
In Matter, Peter Sheahan and Julie Williamson show you how to identify the place where you can create the most value—your edge of disruption—at the intersection of old and new, where your existing profits, reach, and reputation enable you to create the markets of the future.
Keynote and Breakout Session Topics
The missing piece for most leadership teams is defining HOW they want to lead together to deliver on their most ambitious goals.
A high-energy walk through the challenging, humorous, and delightful discoveries that come from getting aligned as a leadership team. Your audience will walk away with real tools to work with to build alignment across their teams.
Watch a virtual workshop from Julie about the HOW of leadership.
Optimism supercharges growth, connection, and success.
The jolt of positive energy your audience needs to reconnect with an optimistic view of the opportunities and challenges they face.
By grounding optimism in the intersection of pragmatism and future focus, Julie helps people to embrace what’s hard to get to what’s great.
View a virtual workshop presented by Julie and learn more about Intentional Optimism.
Don’t lead towards a strategy – Lead through it.
The North Star isn’t anywhere as cool as a comet. But comets burn out, and the North Star keeps shining. Here’s why strategy isn’t as exciting as a plan (spoiler alert: dopamine is involved) and why that’s OK to admit.
Audiences will develop a keen understanding of the value of both strategies and plans, without confusing the two.
Access more content on Julie’s approach to strategy, including white papers and videos.
Keynote Speaking Demo Reel & Sample Video
Ready to Book Your Keynote?
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