Julie Averill covers AI strategy, organizational transformation, and leadership for CIOs and global technology executives. A former Global CIO and EVP at lululemon, where she helped scale the company from $2 billion to $10 billion, Averill also served as CIO at REI and held senior technology leadership roles at Nordstrom. She is the founder and CEO of Gold Thread LLC, advising companies across retail, CPG, and technology, and is a global keynote speaker. Averill teaches Leading Transformation at the University of Washington iSchool and serves on the boards of INDOCHINO and Gorilla Commerce. She holds an MBA and a degree in computer science and has been recognized as a Forbes CIO Next 50 honoree. Her book, Chief Impact Officer, publishes June 16, 2026. Follow Averill for coverage of AI adoption, the evolving CIO role, and leading transformation inside global organizations