Julia Boullemier is the managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at the data science consultancy Profusion, based in Dubai Media City. The Briton, 33, has 13 years’ experience in digital marketing and consultancy, joining Profusion in 2010 as an account director. She was promoted to group account director in 2013 and then to her current role last year. Before Profusion, Ms Boullemier worked as senior consultant at the geographic information systems marketing company CACI and as a sales consultant at the data marketer Datamonitor. She began her career as a marketer at IBM in 2002 and has a degree in information management and business studies from the University of Loughborough. Ms Boullemier lives in Dubai Marina with her husband.
How do you spend your weekend?
I like to relax and socialise and, although I’ve been in Dubai for more than a year, I still make a point of visiting a new place every weekend. I also like to get some time in the sun, as it can be difficult during the week if you’re rushing from one meeting to another. Dubai has some amazing venues and you’re never short of a new restaurant to try.
How did you become a managing director?
I’ve been with Profusion for more than five years and I worked with some of our most important clients in London. This gave me a lot of great experience and also the opportunity to prove myself. Thanks to some hard work and the support of my colleagues and clients I was able to take on more responsibility and rise up the ranks. When we made plans to expand to Dubai I jumped at the opportunity to head up the office, as I’ve always wanted to work in the region and fancied an amazing new challenge.
What is your go-to gadget?
This is going to sound like a cliché, but it would have to be my iPhone 6. I use it for everything – it’s the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I look at night. The nature of Profusion’s business means that we always have to be available for our clients, but I don’t find it restrictive because I can do pretty much everything on my phone, which means I don’t have to be tied to my desk in the office. For me, my smartphone helps me stay in touch with friends and family back in the UK, while also giving me the freedom to keep on top of work while I’m out of the office.
What was the lowest point of your career?
When I worked as an industrial pots and pans cleaner at university. It was the work equivalent of pushing a boulder up a hill. No matter how many pans I cleaned, I still had a pile that was taller than me by the end of the day.
What advice would you offer others starting out in your business?
Stay focused on your goals, never give up and work with the right people. The most successful businesses aren’t driven by one person; they have a strong team throughout. Finding the right people can take a lot of time, but it’s worth the effort. Ideally, hire people whom you can learn from. The best teams share knowledge and succeed together. That’s what I have focused on with building our team in Dubai.
What is your most indulgent habit?
Massages. It’s great way to de-stress. Other than that, I probably get takeaways more often than I should.
What do you have on your desk at work?
We’ve just moved into a new office in Media City, so there’s not much on it at the moment. However, it doesn’t feel like the day has fully begun until I have a cup of tea sitting on my desk.
What can’t you live without?
At the risk of sounding sentimental, socialising with my friends, family and colleagues. I could never work alone or from home because I love working with my team and our clients. Although, I think caffeine and chocolate would be a close second and third on the list.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I love my work, so for me it’s not a challenge to fit it around my life. Having said that, I think it’s crucial to switch off as much as you can when you get home. Not only does this make you appreciate your friends and family more, it also means that you stay fresh and can do the best work for your clients.
If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be and why?
I would love to be an inventor. I admire someone such as Elon Musk, one of the founders of PayPal. Not only did he help to create a company that revolutionised payment and online retail, he is now spending a lot of his time and effort on amazing projects such as clean energy and space travel.
ascott@thenational.ae
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