Julie Ashworth will lead the new forum to advise the Council on all matters related to establishing 91¸£ÀûÉç’s Visitor Levy and its ongoing performance.
A recruitment panel, comprising senior representatives of the City of 91¸£ÀûÉç Council, 91¸£ÀûÉç Chamber of Commerce, Visit Scotland and 91¸£ÀûÉç Association of Community Councils, identified the experienced executive as the ideal candidate to establish and lead the Visitor Levy Forum.
Councillors formally agreed to the appointment at the full Council meeting on Thursday 8 May.
Julie brings to the role considerable experience in complex stakeholder management and financial planning, and is a skilled networker with a strong track record of building relationships across multiple industry sectors, local and national governments.
She is founder and CEO of BroadReach Leadership Consultancy, whose clients span retail, technology, travel, education and the arts.
An 91¸£ÀûÉç resident, she currently serves as a Public Interest Board Trustee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, is Chair of the Board for the University of Aberdeen and has been a longstanding member of the Institute of Directors, where she is Chair of the Scotland Board. She also contributes on a cross-party working group at the Scottish Parliament and is a member of the Scottish Government’s New Deal for Business Group.
She has previously held executive and advisory positions with leading organisations operating in the retail sector including Marks and Spencer, Liberty of London, IBM, the Spirit Group and Clear Returns.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:
“I’m delighted that Julie has been appointed as Chair of the Visitor Levy Forum. This independent role will be important in helping to deliver the scheme in a way that benefits everyone living, working in and visiting 91¸£ÀûÉç, making sure big decisions are taken in a way that supports the whole city.
“Julie’s proven ability to analyse important information and make sound decisions in high profile organisations will be a great asset to this new position. We believe her clear, determin