People of The Pearl meets Julia Jones, head of Concierge Services at IRCAD North America
There’s no place like home, especially when it boasts one of the best skyline views of Charlotte and serves as a transformative hub for advanced surgical training and R&D.
Anyone who walks through the large glass doors at IRCAD North America (IRCAD NA), located at The Pearl innovation district in Midtown, is greeted first by the friendly and hospitable Concierge Services team. They won’t hesitate to offer a bottle of water or a hot coffee to settle in. Their priority is always you.
As Head of Concierge Services, Julia Taylor Jones manages the team, creating a welcoming experience that makes everyone who visits feel like IRCAD NA is their “home away from home,” and that all events run seamlessly – everything that adds up to a luxury customer service experience.
That means anything from helping visitors with registration, to managing issues, to the simple tasks, like getting someone a drink or snack. It’s an important role with big implications for guests, many of whom have come from around the world to train at and experience IRCAD NA. Although travel is exciting, it’s also exhausting, and guests often find themselves in an unfamiliar place.
“If they feel at home and they’re not worrying about their rideshare or their suitcase or their lunch, then they can truly put all their brain power into the more important things, like surgical techniques, robotics and all the exciting things IRCAD has to offer,” Jones says. “Knowing that I have a team here that is willing to jump right in and help out and handle whatever we need to work on, I could not be luckier for the folks that we have.”
Since IRCAD NA opened last year, it has become a destination for medical professionals seeking to enhance their surgical training, learn new techniques, get exposure to robotics and other advances in medical equipment, and stay up to date with what’s happening in the profession. The institute is a supermagnet of The Pearl.
Jones’ work contributes to this culture of IRCAD NA and The Pearl by collaborating with her team to create unforgettable and personalized experiences for all.
“To be surrounded by the people in this district is a different kind of inspiration that I’ve never had before,” Jones says. “The minds that come into this space are brilliant. Every day, I’m pushed to do better, learn more, open my mind, see a new perspective and then pass that down to my team.”
It’s the newer places that Jones has learned to call “home.” She was born in Georgia before her family moved to the Northeast, where she lived in several different cities across New York and Pennsylvania.
After graduating high school, she had the unique experience of spending a year in Brazil through a Rotary International youth exchange program and learned to become fluent in Portuguese – her global perspective grew through this experience. Jones then headed to college in Greenville, N.C., where she studied ceramics, with initial plans to become a teacher.
Plans changed when she was drawn to Charlotte by the innovation and career opportunities emerging in the Queen City. She found the perfect fit with her role leading and growing the Concierge Services team, while also working in a place that fuels her passion for education and building relationships.
At IRCAD NA, she is part of a community changing the future of healthcare innovation. Whether she’s taking in the views of Charlotte from the Hybrid DIGISurg Center on the fourth floor or grabbing a comforting coffee from The Assembly Cafe, it’s easy for Jones to find inspiration here.
Jones says The Pearl and everyone at IRCAD NA have opened her world to all kinds of future paths and helped her gain new skills when she’s creating solutions to streamline a process or when working through logistics. Although the future is unpredictable, Jones hopes to grow into a role that supports IRCAD’s operations and logistics as they continue to evolve.
“No matter what career you choose, it’s important to find the place where you thrive,” Jones says. “For me, that has always been where I feel at home. Home is a place of comfort, and IRCAD could not be a more fitting one.”
