About Julie

The Gold Thread Story

My mom was an upholsterer and a seamstress. I think of gold thread as the beauty that connects our stories, the craftsmanship that holds transformation together, and the strength that runs through everything we build.

She ran a sewing machine at an upholstery shop. I watched her work with breathtaking precision. I also watched her run over her thumb and pull the needle out by herself, then get back to work. Twice. That's where I learned ownership. When something breaks, you fix it yourself. You don't wait for someone else to solve your problems.

My father, Earl Averill, was a former Major League catcher. The son of a Hall of Famer. From his crouch behind home plate, he learned to see the whole field when everyone else was focused on the ball. He taught me systems thinking before I knew the term existed. Every decision shaped by invisible context. Every pattern revealing something deeper.

These weren't leadership principles I studied. They were patterns I lived. And they would prove more valuable than any advanced degree when everything started breaking at once.

The Professional Journey

I spent two decades proving that culture isn't soft. It's the infrastructure that determines whether transformation succeeds or fails.

As Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President at lululemon, I led an eight-year global technology and cultural transformation that helped grow the company from $2 billion to over $10 billion in revenue. My work reshaped ecommerce, retail, supply chain, and cybersecurity while building a world-class global tech team across Vancouver, Seattle, Shanghai, and Bangalore.

Before lululemon, I held the CIO role at REI and senior technology roles at Nordstrom, where I drove major digital and omnichannel expansions. I learned what transformation actually requires through system failures, high-stakes crises, and the messy reality of integrating technology with business strategy at scale.

Today, I advise boards, CEOs, and founders at the critical intersection of technological capability, business strategy, and organizational readiness. The space where most transformations stall. I speak globally on leadership in the age of AI and help organizations build what technology can't provide: the psychological safety that enables truth-telling, the leadership capability that turns pilots into transformation, and the culture that makes change sustainable rather than performative.

Current Roles

I currently serve on the board of INDOCHINO and on several advisory boards including the UW Information School. I advise AI companies and help organizations navigate the intersection of technology strategy and human capability.

Personal

I live in Bellevue, Washington, with my wife Cindy and our three children. When not speaking, advising, or writing, you can find me on the pickleball court, traveling to visit family across continents, or learning from my global family that the most profound transformations happen when we expand who we're willing to become.