Coffee Roulette with Transformation Consultant Julia Warrack: Leadership, Purpose, and Building the Future of Harris

What does leadership really look like behind the scenes – and how early in your career should you start thinking about the bigger picture?

As part of our Coffee Roulette series, Harris apprentices Andrew Williams and Amy Balfour met with Julia Warrack, Transformation Consultant, for an open and thoughtful conversation about career journeys, organisational leadership, and the future of the Harris Federation. Designed to give apprentices early access to senior leadership insight, Coffee Roulette creates space for honest dialogue – allowing curiosity, reflection, and ambition to meet experience.

Coming at a key moment in the apprentices’ development, the conversation followed a successful first year of rotations across HR, Talent & Acquisition, and Estates & Projects, as well as recent academy placements that deepened their understanding of school life and operational realities. 

From consultancy to Transformation Consultant: a non-linear leadership journey

Julia began by sharing how she came into the Transformation Consultant role at Harris – a journey that did not follow a traditional career path. Initially invited to support Harris through a short consultancy project, Julia was asked to assess the organisation’s leadership capability and operational effectiveness. This work highlighted both the strengths of the Federation and areas where more consistency and structure were needed to enable sustainable growth.

That insight led to a deeper piece of work focused on change management – understanding how Harris could better deliver change across a complex, multi-academy environment. The outcome was the creation of a shared services model, bringing previously separate central functions into a more coherent and collaborative structure. For the apprentices, this was a powerful example of how leadership often emerges from problem-solving, adaptability, and the willingness to step into uncertainty.

A vision rooted in social justice and opportunity

When asked about Harris’ future growth, Julia reflected on the founding vision set out by Lord Harris – a vision centred not only on scale, but on social justice, access, and opportunity. Having already surpassed the milestone of educating 50,000 pupils, the Federation continues to explore how it can grow geographically while remaining rooted in its core purpose.

Julia spoke about the importance of maintaining Harris’ presence in central London, while also responding to demographic shifts and population movement towards outer London and surrounding areas. Growth, she explained, is not simply about expansion, but about ensuring that Harris continues to create opportunities for young people and communities who need them most.

Perhaps the most resonant message of the session came when Julia reframed what it means to work at Harris: this is not simply employment within an education organisation, but participation in a broader movement – one that aims to influence education nationally and create a lasting “halo effect” beyond the Federation itself.

Learning how leadership decisions are made

The conversation also gave apprentices insight into how senior leaders think and operate day to day. Julia described the reality of leadership as varied, complex, and often ambiguous — requiring the ability to balance multiple perspectives, manage differing opinions, and make decisions without always having complete information.

For apprentices at an early career stage, this demystification of leadership was invaluable. It highlighted that leadership is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions, listening carefully, and creating structures that allow others to succeed.

Improving onboarding and designing future-focused journeys

A significant part of the discussion focused on onboarding and organisational processes – an area where apprentices have already been making a tangible impact. Julia openly reflected on her own onboarding experience at Harris, acknowledging that while progress has been made, there is still room to create a more coherent, end-to-end journey for new starters.

Looking ahead, she shared examples from previous organisations where truly digital, people-centred onboarding experiences had transformed engagement – from video introductions and dynamic matching to clearer, more personalised journeys. With the introduction of Oracle and ongoing process reviews, Julia sees a real opportunity for Harris to build onboarding experiences that feel welcoming, future-focused, and genuinely reflective of the organisation’s values.

Why Coffee Roulette matters

For apprentices, the opportunity to engage in conversations like this provides far more than insight – it builds confidence, context, and a sense of belonging. Coffee Roulette is not about formal presentations or rehearsed answers; it is about creating space for honest discussion, curiosity, and learning across levels of the organisation.

As the apprentices continue their three-year Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, these conversations help connect their day-to-day work to the wider mission of Harris – reinforcing that every role, project, and idea contributes to something much larger.

As the Coffee Roulette series continues, we look forward to sharing more reflections from these conversations and following our apprentices as they grow into confident, purpose-driven professionals shaping the future of Harris.