Julian Azzopardi steps down from UP Your Level as he takes on new ‘CEO of fatherhood’ role

Over the weekend, Julian Azzopardi announced that he has stepped down from his role of CEO at UP Your Level (UYL).

UYL is a company that provides leadership, coaching and mentoring, HR support and corporate wellness services and is an online training academy.

Sharing the news through LinkedIn, Mr Azzopardi remarked that a year and a half ago he wrote a post about the resignation of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

To him, her resignation had struck a nerve, with the globally popular politician saying she was leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. This responsibility, she said, was to know whether the person in charge is the right person to lead or not.

Mr Azzopardi stated that this resonated with him a lot as leadership is a big responsibility and “the decision to leave is as important as the reasons to stay. Especially when you’ve got nothing left in the tank to give.”

“Today, I write with the same message: I have stepped down from the role of CEO at UYL because it is the right decision for the organisation, its people and the clients they serve,” he wrote.

Consequently, Mr Azzopardi shared that this step was the right decision for him as he takes on the new role of “CEO of fatherhood.”

With his daughter Miya and “three very cute puppies,” he highlighted that his focus, energy and efforts need prioritisation and noted that he would have been doing a disservice to UP and his family had he continued trying to make things work. “Trying is not just good enough sometimes,” he added.

Looking back, he reflected that during his tenure as CEO of the company he gave it his all.

“Where we disagreed on direction or how to get there, we remained committed, and co-created solutions. This evidenced a great togetherness instigated by Nathan, held together by Daphne, and enriched by all who joined UYL along the way,” he said.

Furthermore, he remarked that the company’s plans are ambitious and amazing, and he only wants the best for the team.

He reflected that any mistakes he made along the way were his own. His intention throughout his five years as CEO of the company was to help others be better versions of themselves so that this can be reciprocated for those around them.

In addition, he expressed pride for his wife Ann “that achieved super mum status by also being admitted to the partnership table at her law firm.”

Mr Azzopardi commented that while she supported him from day one, she deserves a similar supporting partner and thanked her for keeping up with his mood swings while they “try to find the sunshine.”

Wrapping up his thoughts, he said he looks forward to the next phase as a parent, “a Vistage Chair, a coach, a confidant, a sounding board, a peer and a learner.”

He thanked everyone at the company for professional support, knowledge and guidance and committed himself to support the UYL and Vistage communities with the same commitment as always.

“And of course, thank you to Ann for all the above, I hope I can repay your confidence and can’t wait to ‘lead’ this family together,” he concluded.