Julie Zilko

Current

• Principal at Zilko & Co

Past

• Head of Public Affairs, BankWest, Perth WA at Westpac
• Senior Manager, Internal and Customer Communication at Westpac Banking Corporation
• Deputy Editor at Cleo Magazine

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Education

• Monash University, Melbourne Australia
• University of NSW, Sydney
• University of Western Australia

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Recommended

5 people have recommended Julie

Connections

45 connections

Industry

Public Relations and Communications

Julie Zilko’s Summary

Zilko & Co is a Melbourne-based strategic business communication consultancy providing full communication services to both the private and government sectors. Particular expertise in annual report project management and writing and media relations.

Clients include Fosters Australia, Westpac Banking Corporation, St.George Bank, CSIRO, Iatia Ltd, Dia-B, Committed Capital Pty Ltd, The Australian Bankers’ Association, IP Australia, Paladin Australia Ltd, CPA Australia, The West Australian Treasury, State Trustees Ltd, Yarra Valley Water.

Julie Zilko’s Specialties:

Award winning annual report management and writing; speechwriting; internal and external communication media management; marketing communications.

Julie Zilko’s Experience

• Principal

  Zilko & Co

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1995 — Present (15 years )

  Zilko & Co is a Melbourne-based strategic business communication consultancy specialising in annual report management and writing, and media relations/management.
  
  Annual Reports
  • Project managed and wrote State Trustees’ 2007 Annual Report. Worked closely with executives and board; interpreted and resolved issues relating to new audit requirements; established State Trustees' first Corporate Governance Statement, worked with the CFO and auditors to revise the financial report, wrote all copy, and worked closely with the designer to execute the unique concept.
  • Designed the concept writing style and wrote Foster’s Group 2005 Annual Report.
  • Created the concepts and wrote St.George Bank’s 1999, 2000, and 2001 Annual Reports. Wrote the MD’s and Chairman’s speeches for Melbourne Shareholders meeting in 2001.
  • Won the ‘Annual Reports of Australia’s’ only special communication award, two years running, for Westpac Banking Corporation’s 1998 and 1999 Annual Reports. Edited the bank’s 2000 Annual Report, and corporate governance section of its 2002 Report.
  • Devised concept, project managed and wrote BankWest’s annual report in 1995.
  • Wrote the West Australian Treasury’s annual report in the late ‘90s
  
  Media management
  • Communication manager for CPA Australia’s most complex advisory disciplines of corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and auditing. Generated strong relationships with journalists and excellent national media coverage.
  • Wrote a series of controversial media releases for Hewisons & Associates relating to fee-for-service for the financial planning industry in mid-2008, gaining strong coverage.
  • Wrote 50 –plus media releases generating strong company profile for Paladin Australia Limited over a two-year period.
  • For two years prepared and wrote key messaging, investor presentations, media releases, and newsletters for Iatia Ltd, a world leader in phase image enhancement technology.

• Head of Public Affairs, BankWest, Perth WA

  Westpac

  (Public Company; WBC; Banking industry)

  May 1994 — June 1995 (1 year 2 months)

  Joined the bank as Head of Public Affairs in the lead up to the bank’s push to privatisation. Reporting to the CEO, managed a 13-person team and oversaw a complex portfolio including investor relations, media relations, change management, strategic marketing, event management, internal communication, corporate publications, MD’s communication, and special projects.

• Senior Manager, Internal and Customer Communication

  Westpac Banking Corporation

  (Public Company; WBC; Banking industry)

  1986 — 1993 (7 years )

  Westpac Banking Corporation is one of Australia’s Big Four banks. At the time of my employment, it had $137 billion in total assets, 45,000 staff, and four million customers.
  During the nearly eight years with the organisation, the bank was forced to deal with many challenges, not least the notorious ‘Westpac Letters’ affair and related loss of customer loyalty. The outfall from that created major issues of staff and customer confidence that needed turning around.
  I was promoted three times during my time with the bank, culminating in the position of Senior Manager Internal & Customer Communication. In this role I reported to a general manager and managed a broad portfolio, a $5 million annual budget, and a 10-person award winning team.

• Deputy Editor

  Cleo Magazine

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1982 — 1986 (4 years )

Julie Zilko’s Education

• Monash University, Melbourne Australia

  PhD in the Faculty of Business & Economics, Department of Management , Uncompleted thesis into corporate governance and leadership. , 2002 — 2008

  Achieved high distinctions in statistics, and quantitative research methodologies coursework.

• University of NSW, Sydney

  MA , Majored in Corporate Ethics and Medical Ethics , February 1992 — December 1996

• University of Western Australia

  BA , Politics and Modern European History , February 1974 — December 1978

  Activities and Societies:

  Student Guild councillor for three years, including terms as President of Societies Council and Vice President of the Guild. I was also the first female student in the University’s history to be elected onto the University of Western Australia’s Senate (for a two-year term).

Additional Information

Julie Zilko’s Interests:

I enjoy renovating my home, tasting Australian wines, cooking exotic cuisine, reading, watching TV and movies, attending literary festivals, bargain hunting, entertaining friends, exploring new countries, and listening to a wide range of music.

Julie Zilko’s Honors:

Writing on both of Westpac’s 1997 and 1998 Annual Reports won the Annual Reports Awards of Australia Inc’s only special communication award for both years, and bronze for the St.George Bank Annual Report in 1999.
During my time at Westpac, I won five gold Serif Awards, four Silvers, and two Merits in the national Australian Institute of Professional Communicators/Society of Business Communicators awards, and my staff won nine Gold Serifs, one Silver, and three Merits. We also won Gold and Merit in Enterprise Australia’s Communication Awards in 1988.

Julie Zilko’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch