Kirsten Haywood is a Faculty member of AcademyGlobal with more than two decades of experience across government, banking, utilities, infrastructure and international development. She has worked in more than ten countries, with deep experience across the Pacific and Asia, in roles at the intersection of strategy, stakeholders and impact.

As Head of Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Sustainability for Westpac’s Pacific banking operations, Kirsten led teams across the region and advised boards and executives through M&A divestments, organisational transformation and crises ranging from natural disasters to complex reputational issues. She has also worked with the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, on initiatives supporting sustainable economic development, and led public communications for the ACT Government-owned water utility during the Millennium Drought.

A university teaching opportunity at RMIT changed Kirsten’s career trajectory. She discovered that she loved helping professionals connect theory with the challenges and opportunities they encounter in their work. She now teaches MBA-level subjects across leading business schools and works with organisations to strengthen leadership capability and create value for stakeholders, communities and the environment.

Kirsten’s facilitation is grounded in first-hand experience: leading teams through change, influencing stakeholders from local communities to heads of government, and navigating risk, reputation and opportunity in complex environments. She brings that practical lens into the classroom, encouraging participants to test ideas against the realities they face at work.

Kirsten began her career in the arts and continues that connection through volunteer and board roles.