Julie Harrington joined the world-renowned British Cycling as chief executive in 2017 following five successful years at The Football Association.
In her time at The FA, Julie was managing director of St. George’s Park after coming to the team from her post as operations director at Northern Racing. She was considered an esteemed figure within The FA, managing the multi-million-pound Burton-based complex and around 350 members of staff.
With a background in marketing, Julie’s route to sport came through the broad leisure industry. Her early career was with Whitbread Inns as regional marketing director and later with British Airways as retail sector director.
Managing pub estates for Tetley and Carlsberg during Euro ’96 allowed Julie to see what a successful football team can do for a nation: “I remember Euro 96 and what a great buzz it created in the country,” she told uttoxeter-news.co.uk. “I was involved in it through links with Carlsberg-Tetley at the time. There was such a feelgood factor around and I realised how, if English football is doing well, there’s a big spin off through the whole country.”
Julie’s other roles have included a stint as brand manager at Wacky Warehouse before she moved into horse racing. Her first role was managing Uttoxeter Racecourse before going on to Northern Racing where she looked after ten courses. In December 2014, she was appointed as director at the British Horseracing Authority.
Originally from Tutbury in Staffordshire, Julie is a fervent Manchester United supporter and has fond memories of watching lower league football with her dad in the 1970s.
