Julia Yon never intended to pursue a career in facilities management. Her original goal was to be an actress. However, it turns out that years spent learning to read a room, perform under pressure, and understand what people truly mean, prepared her perfectly for the world of long-term, high-stakes commercial partnerships.
Born in Korea and raised in Australia from the age of two, Julia grew up watching her parents rebuild their lives from scratch. Hard work wasn’t optional. Preparation wasn’t negotiable. Risk was something to be understood, not taken lightly. Long before she entered a boardroom, those early lessons were already shaping how she approached work.
After university, Julia found her way into sales and business development and immediately recognised something familiar. The same instincts she had relied on in performing arts translated seamlessly: awareness, discipline, and curiosity.
“You really have to understand the psyche of your customer – what they’re worried about, what keeps them up at night, and what they need to feel confident,” she says.
In facilities services, that understanding goes a long way. Cleaning, hygiene, maintenance and other FM services may look simple from the outside, but procurement teams know the truth: it’s complex, compliance‑heavy, and full of operational risk. Decisions take time. Stakeholders multiply. Details are scrutinised. And Julia thrives in that environment.
“Everything has to be done by the book – that’s not a burden, it’s what creates certainty,” she says.
“The best thing about this role? Autonomy,” she says. “Matt [Van Dalen] gives me the space and authority to think outside the box – and to build relationships in the way I know works for me.”
Julia says she was trusted to get on with the job in a way that felt true to how she builds relationships, while still aligned to OCS’s long-term strategy. She’s not chasing quick wins. She’s focused on building long-lasting relationships, the kind built on mutual give-and-take, and honest communication.
“The best commercial relationships are collaborative. You can’t posture your way to trust,” she says. “Trust is a currency – and once you earn it, it compounds.”
Procurement leaders understand this better than anyone. Trust isn’t just a feeling; it’s risk management. It’s knowing that what’s promised in a proposal will be delivered every day on site. Julia knows that buyers can instantly sense the difference between someone who’s motivated by solving their problems rather than by selling a service.
For women considering a commercial career, her advice is practical: “You don’t need to wait until you feel fully ready. Authority is built by doing – by being prepared, showing up, and staying in rooms that weren’t always designed with you in mind.”
Facilities management is hands‑on, essential, and constantly changing. It needs people who can see the detail and the bigger picture. People who respect processes and know when to lead with empathy. People who understand both the commercial and the human realities.
Julia Yon is all of those things, and that’s what makes her the kind of partner any procurement leader would want by their side.
