Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE
Dame Julia Cleverdon is principally known for the formidable reputation she has acquired as a renowned leader and challenging speaker on business leadership, corporate responsibility and women’s development.
She has been acclaimed for achieving real innovation and behaviour change in the boardrooms of the UK and internationally while Chief Executive of Business in the Community from April 1992 to March 2008.
Under her leadership the business-led organisation grew from £2million to £24 million turnover with 400 staff and encompassed 800 member companies committed to improving their positive impact on society. Inspiring business to collaborate together to tackle community need, stem climate change, promote diversity and harness the engagement of employees in education were the hallmarks of Julia’s achievement as well as her development with the Prince of Wales of his Seeing is Believing programme involving more than seven thousand business leaders.
Her energies in promoting responsible business practice and the significant impact and track record of her work continues in her two new roles – as a Vice President of Business in the Community, and as a Special Adviser to the Prince’s Charities on responsible business practice (with a specific project in Burnley).
She was listed by The Times as one of the 50 most influential women in Britain, and is much in demand on corporate and educational platforms as well as an engaging after dinner speaker! She was appointed CBE in 1996 and CVO in the New Year’s Honours’ list in 2002 and a DCVO in the Queen’s Honours list in 2008. Julia has recently received an honorary degree from Exeter University for her work in Education. She holds an Honorary LLD from the University of Warwick, an Honorary Degree from Harper Adams University College for her support of the rural agenda and an Honorary Degree from Middlesex University.
She was appointed by the Prime Minister in 2007 to lead the Business Strand of the National Council for Education Excellence, which has recently produced specific recommendations on how to improve education business partnerships. Julia continues to support this initiative and is helping to ensure a successful implementation plan is put in place across the UK.
The Office of the Third Sector asked her to lead a three month Task Force on Building Stronger Communities in an economic downturn – this report was launched on 21 July 2009 and the recommendations are being implemented in specific regions.
She is also a member of Carillion’s Sustainability Committee, and a Business Adviser to Marie Curie. She has also recently been appointed a Board Trustee for the NCVO and chairs the Newnham College Advisory Board. She is a Vice Patron of Volunteer Reading Help, the Helena Kennedy Bursary Scheme, a Patron of the Teacher Training Awards, an Ambassador of the World Wildlife Fund and a member of the Commonwealth Study Conference.
Her most energy consuming voluntary role is as Chair of Teach First, whose mission is to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. She also represents Teach First on Teach for All – the international partnership with Teach for America seeking to spread the experience and mission to other interested social entrepreneurs across the world.
She began her working life in 1972 in industrial relations at British Leyland, after graduating from a History degree at Newnham College, Cambridge. She joined the Industrial Society and was seconded to Anglo American in South Africa and then developed and led the Education and Inner City Division from 1981 – 1988, during which time The Industrial Society became the leading provider of management training for education and voluntary organisations. Julia was married to the late John Garnett CBE, Director of the Industrial Society from 1962 to 1988, who died in 1997 and has two daughters- a nurse and a police officer.
(Contact can be made via Julia’s website and Executive Assistant, Bernie Hearn – www.juliacleverdon.com)
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