The Principal
Hayley Edwards FGIA GAICD
Principal, Valdura Advisory Group
Commercial experience and governance expertise, applied to your circumstances.
I work at the intersection of industry, government and international business, advising boards, CEOs and senior leaders on stakeholder engagement, corporate affairs, governance and growth. My experience spans resources, energy, government, defence, trade and investment, alongside the practical responsibilities of owning and running businesses.
My experience in international business development centres on building the partnerships, influence and relationships needed to achieve strategic and commercial outcomes. I have worked alongside senior government officials, ministers, ambassadors, business leaders and industry stakeholders on initiatives supporting investment, trade and business growth.
The foundations of my diagnostic approach.
I have developed Valdura's diagnostic tools by drawing together research, formal study and the practical understanding gained throughout my career. Business ownership brings a commercial perspective to this work, while my experience across industry and government informs how I consider stakeholder relationships, institutional expectations and the challenges of turning strategy into action.
I hold an MBA specialising in Energy and Minerals Management, together with postgraduate qualifications in Policy, Politics and Government. As a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, I bring these foundations to my work in governance, strategy and leadership, including the decisions boards and executives face when considering AI investment and use.
The tools reflect a principle central to my practice, that every individual and organisation has a distinct combination of responsibilities, capabilities and obstacles. Research provides a foundation for structured inquiry, but understanding the circumstances gives that inquiry its relevance.
From structured reflection to bespoke recommendations.
My diagnostics help individuals and leaders examine their own perspectives and identify questions that deserve closer attention. They are a starting point for understanding, rather than a substitute for an independent assessment.
In a commissioned engagement, I consider those questions alongside the organisation's priorities, stakeholder environment and practical constraints, developing bespoke recommendations within the agreed scope. You work directly with me throughout, with advice grounded in research and shaped by the circumstances you need to address.
Qualifications
- Fellow, Governance Institute of Australia
- Graduate, Company Directors Course, Australian Institute of Company Directors
- MBA Specialisation in Energy and Minerals Management, University of Western Australia
- AI Strategy and Transformation Planning, Microsoft
- GradCert in Public Policy and Politics, Deakin University
- Diploma of Local Government (Elected Member), Western Australian Local Government Association
- Diploma of Clinical Practice (Paramedic), Charles Sturt University
Approach
Hayley works directly with each client. She does not delegate analysis to a junior team, and she will say so when an issue is better handled by another adviser.