Julia Davison, CEO Goodstart Early Learning, talks: Early education, taking sabbaticals, learning through failure, being authentic and jumping ship.
Julia Davison is the CEO of Goodstart Early Learning, one of Australia’s largest social enterprises. She drives the strategic direction of Goodstart, which has over 615 early learning centres across the country in each state and territory, with more than 15, 000 staff educating over 70, 000 children. Goodstart is committed to working with children, families, communities, governments, and sector stakeholders to lift the quality of early learning in Australia, as international evidence proves the first five years are pivotal to how a child develops into adulthood. Julia became CEO of Goodstart at a critical time. In 2009, Goodstart Early Learning was ultimately established after ABC Learning, then Australia’s largest childcare provider, collapsed and went into receivership in 2008.
Julia was born in Sussex, England. Following high school, she had a gap year in Germany, where she worked as an au pair, before attending Durham University in the north of England. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in geography and began her career in the health industry with a graduate training scheme with NHS. After working in the sector for many years, Julia decided to take a year off to study a Masters of Public Administration at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, before relocating to Australia to become the CEO of Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide. Julia has extensive senior management experience and has also been the CEO of Workcover South Australia and the Chair of non-for-profit organisation Catherine House, an organisation which assists women experiencing homelessness.
Julia lives in Brisbane with her husband.
Quick Links:
- Julia on LinkedIn
- Durham University
- Harvard University Kennedy School of Government
- Flinders Medical Centre
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