Julia Hands

 

Julia has been an adviser to Terra Firma for many years.

Julia joined Linklaters & Paines as an articled clerk in 1984 and qualified as a solicitor in 1986. She remained with Linklaters until 1996.

Julia is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hand Picked Hotels, founded in 1999. The award winning collection consists of 19 unique country house hotels across the UK and the Channel Islands. In 2017, Julia and her husband Guy agreed a deal to acquire McDonald’s Nordic operations, which consist of approximately 435 restaurants, 95% of which are franchised. The family’s estate in Tuscany, Villa Saletta, is home to a vineyard that produces award-winning wine and olive oil.

Julia won The Tourism and Leisure business sector in the First Women Awards in 2005, organised by the CBI in conjunction with Real Business magazine. She was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry in 2008 and has acquired numerous accolades for the hotel collection, including AA Hotel Group of the Year 2004-2005 and 2012-2013. Julia is a Bancroft Fellow of Mansfield College Oxford and a Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. She is also a member of the University of Oxford Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors.

Julia studied Classics and Law at King’s College, Cambridge. She passed her Law Finals at the School of Law, Chancery Lane, London.