Alumni Association of Lakehead University

Entrepreneurial Alumna Crosses Continent

by Maureen Arges Nadin

For 1968 LU Grad (BA Psychology/ Mathematics) Julie Munro, nee Wierzbicki, “home “is a relative term. In the course of her personal and professional path since graduating from LU and leaving Thunder Bay shortly thereafter, Julie has crossed continents and oceans as a business entrepreneur and professional woman.

Although she returns to Thunder Bay regularly to visit family, she presently divides her time between Scottsdale Arizona and  Bangkok, Thailand where she is again at the forefront of a new industry - medical tourism - bringing together patients from North America with doctors and hospitals in Asia.

It all began on LU’s campus back in the very early days of the University when classes were small, Julie recalls, and somewhat limited in terms of choices. But the recreational and social opportunities were vast, she adds and she relished the opportunity to interact with students from various parts of Canada who were coming to the twin cities then known as the Lakehead to take specialized courses that were unique to this area, such as the Forestry program.

Julie went on to pursue a graduate program south of the border, obtaining a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science at the University of Maryland in 1974. Computers were not yet firmly implanted in the workings of every day life but Julie knew that she was entering a burgeoning field with tremendous growth opportunity. 

She met and married Toronto Globe and Mail correspondent Ross H. Munro and moved to Washington D.C. This was the first of many moves that would bring her to new and exciting and opportunities and farther from her home and native land. 

Even broader horizons soon beckoned. In 1975, Julie and her husband faced a decision that had life altering ramifications, one of those proverbial “fork in the road” moments of life. They accepted a transfer to Beijing, China and made a conscious decision to embrace it and the cultural changes that went with it.

Since then, there have been no regrets but rather a deep appreciation for the opportunities for enrichment and personal development that living abroad in an Oriental culture would bring.

“In those days, “Julie reflects, “China was still Communist and so isolated it would be such an adventure to live there. We asked ourselves if we would regret not having gone and the answer was yes.”

It was to be a significant and defining choice, one that ultimately guided Julie’s career path and her professional life.“That experience framed who I now am,” says Julie.

The years following this momentous decision brought more changes and moves. Julie’s husband’s new job as a Time Magazine Foreign Correspondent included  a 6 year stint living and working in Hong Kong, New Delhi for 4 years, and then a 3 year period in Bangkok, Thailand.

In Hong Kong, Julie became one of the early “China Traders. “ She discovered a talent for entrepreneurship and founded a business publishing firm, the China Phone Book Company that became an indispensable tool for anyone doing business in China. She later sold the company to Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. 

During the early 90’s, Julie found herself in the midst of more change having adopted a seven year old son in Thailand  and facing yet another move, this time back to North America, to the Philadelphia area, where she lived for 12 years before ultimately making the decision to leave a city that had never been a good fit for her.

“Philadelphia is not a city that looks beyond its borders. It’s difficult for newcomers to break in.”  Her son, Paradon, had completed his studies at nearby Franklin and Marshall Colleges in Pennsylvania and she was newly divorced after 25 years of marriage. She decided to head West, settling (at least for the time being) in Scottsdale, Arizona where her business is currently centered.

Today, life consists of a brand new vision and venture, one which traces its developmental roots back to Asia. Julie is the founder and CEO of Cosmetic Surgery Travel which provides Medical Concierge coordination and support services for international patients traveling to Thailand and Singapore for plastic surgery and other medical procedures. The company was founded in 2003 and although it might appear to Canadians to be a new concept, Julie says  that patients from other parts of the world where good health care is not always accessible, have been engaging medical travel services for some time now.

She credits the early development of medical travel vision to a South African woman who decided to offer a Safari package to patients traveling to the region for cosmetic surgery. Although there are presently other companies offering a similar service with an emphasis on the tourism component, Julie's company stresses the importance of providing expert quality care and personalized support to the patient, both before and after the procedure. Her staff consists of a team of "medical concierge" professionals, mostly expatriate Canadians, Americans, Australians and Europeans. Each concierge is certified and fluent in the language of the country and is dedicated to providing quality and comprehensive support to the patient in planning and managing the procedure. Julie and her team have developed a close network with the leading doctors and sureons in Thailand and inveest considerable time and energy in ensuring that clients receive the best care from the most appropriate provider.

With her understanding of Thai culture being an obvious advantage, Julie recognized that it was a natural centre for medical travel as there were already a number of internationally certified hospitals witha growing international patient base.

Julie's commitment to ensuring that her clients are receiving the best level of care possible is aptly illustrated by the litmus test that she used when her company was in the planning stages, interviewing doctors and visiting hospitals and clinics. Quite simply, she asked herself a pointed question that all of us can relate to "Would I bring my mother here?" Julie's obvious compassion and understanding of the level of support required by people who are facing any kind of surgery, much less a critical surgery in a foreign land, have earned her best practice recognition in her field and she frequently is called upon to share her insight at industry conferences.

Branching out from patient care and management, Julie also represents doctors on the cutting edge of new procedures and techniques who want to make these available to patients worldwide by establishing treatment centres and protocols in Thailand. Julie works with experimental stem cell therapies for failing hearts and for diabetes related peripheral artery disease. her most recent client is an American doctor who has developed a new and promising surgery for lower back pain that in 5 to 10 years may become the treatment of choice for people with chronic back pain.

The future is still full of promise for Julie Munro and she expects to be committed to the continued development of her business for the long term. Her personal philosophy reflects her willingness to embrace opportunities when they present themselves, even when the prospect takes one out of a familiar environment and comfort level into that place that evokes fear for most of us, the unknown. She knows from first hand experience that the rewards can be great, both personally and professionally and her story can serve to inspire others who may find themselves on such a cusp. To catch up with Julie Munro, or at least the virtual version, check out her Website at www.cosmeticsurgerytravel.com or e-mail her at InternetGlobal%23com|Julie.