Speakers

Julie Foley is Director of Flood Risk Strategy and National Adaptation at the Environment Agency.

Julie is accountable for leading the development and delivery of the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy working with government, risk management authorities, national infrastructure providers and other partners. This includes leading national teams who are responsible for the Environment Agency’s work on flood and coastal resilience and climate adaptation.

She is responsible for leading the delivery of the government’s national £200 million Flood & Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme and the £25 million Natural Flood Management programme.

Julie has worked for the Environment Agency for 18 years. Her previous leadership roles include being an Area Director for the Environment Agency’s operations in Kent and South London as well as Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Her accountabilities included leading local teams working on issues relating to water management, spatial planning, pollution control, waste regulation and flood incident response.

Julie is also the Environment Agency’s executive champion for race equality, diversity and inclusion.

In the 2022 New Years Honours Julie was awarded an OBE for services to flood risk management.

Over 2022/23 Julie spearheaded the ten-year review of the Thames Estuary 2100 tidal flood risk plan and was also an independent member of the government’s Lowland Peat Agricultural Task Force.