VP Marketing, Myriota
Executive Program for Growing Companies
Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2019
From the fashion runways of New York and Rome to the cosmos of satellite connectivity, Julia Johnson’s career journey is nothing short of meteoric.
“When I was 18, Adelaide was a very different place,” the now 34-year-old VP of Marketing at tech company Myriota, recalls.
“I didn’t see a future in Adelaide; we had what’s called the brain drain. And so when I turned 18, I moved to Melbourne,” Julia says.
After undertaking a Bachelor of Textile Design from RMIT, she spent two years modelling and studying in Rome and New York, immersing herself in the latest trends and cultures before returning to her hometown to lead creative direction for New World Lifestyle Group, a hospitality company with 40 restaurants and entertainment venues across Adelaide.
A pivot towards tech
It was a mentor’s influence that motivated Julia to study a Bachelor of Management (Marketing) from the University of South Australia in 2013 and return to her alma mater five years later to take on an MBA, setting her on a trajectory toward the tech industry.
After finishing her degree in record time and graduating at the top of her class, she secured a management position at Sensei, a Microsoft partner, becoming the company’s first female in a non-admin role at the age of 25.
Fast forward to today and Julia is the marketing dynamo at Myriota, a trailblazing global telco for the Internet-of-Things (IoT), leveraging revolutionary IP to deliver field insights to underserved areas – all from the once unlikely launchpad of Adelaide.
As VP of Marketing, Julia has witnessed the company’s remarkable growth, from 16 employees when she joined as Marketing and Communications Manager in 2018 to nearly 70 today.
“We had 25 new hires just last year primarily in Adelaide – that’s significant growth for our size,” she notes.
Reflecting on her own evolution, with three promotions in less than six years, Julia emphasises the importance of adaptability and personal growth.
“You really have to have a growth mindset and be able to evolve with your company because what the company needs in year two or three is very different from what the company needs at year 10.”
The Stanford experience
In 2019 Julia took her education to even greater heights, successfully applying for an ILF scholarship to study the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Growing Companies, which she completed, post-COVID, in August 2022.
“The neuroscience of culture and leadership really resonated.
“As a leader, you need to provide an environment of psychological safety, giving teams the space to think creatively and challenge ideas.
“For a rapidly-growing company like Myriota, now nearing 70 employees, maintaining the right environment and culture is crucial as we scale.”
Perhaps most valuably, it expanded her network globally.
“It’s a force multiplier – being able to jump on calls with leaders in HR, product and sales from all over the world to have candid conversations about the challenges and opportunities we’re facing. That network has been invaluable to then bring back to South Australia.”
Julia is equally passionate about the power of the ILF Scholars Network: “There is no better network in Australia than the ILF. It consistently holds people to a high calibre, giving us access to a really quality network to pull from.”
Innovation, continued
With Myriota’s ambitious plans to dominate the direct-to-satellite industry within five years, Julia’s role in driving global expansion and penetrating new markets is pivotal.
“We’ve recently entered the Latin American market, one of the fastest growing markets. We’re localising our approach there for people that speak Portuguese and Spanish,” she says.
“We’re also launching new capabilities on our product roadmap that will make plug-and-play IoT hardware accessible to more people at the right price point and with the right functionality.
“What a lot of people don’t realise is that Myriota has an extensive patent portfolio that allows us to provide a competitive edge. Unlike other players, we need far fewer satellites so our infrastructure costs are lower, which means we can pass those savings on to our customers. Our battery life is also unparalleled which means users can set and forget the devices for a decade or more.”
As Myriota continues to make waves on the global stage, Julia’s leadership and unique perspective, shaped by her diverse experiences, will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the company’s success.