Meet the CEO: Kylee Hayward
A new chapter is officially underway at GPSA. This month, we welcomed Kylee Hayward as our new Chief Executive Officer. Kylee joins us at an incredibly exciting time as we implement our new strategic plan to lead and support excellence in GP supervision.
With over 20 years of experience in the health sector—starting as a practising hospital pharmacist across New Zealand and the UK, before moving into the not-for-profit sector—Kylee brings a proven track record in workforce advancement. In her most recent role at Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha), formerly the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, she led the development of Australia's first Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacy Technicians and Assistants, providing consistent, nationally recognised standards of safe, quality practice.
Kylee is a passionate musician and vocalist, and when she isn’t working, you can find her singing with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic choir. She says that it gives her time to reconnect with herself.
We sat down with Kylee during her first week to talk about challenges, cultural footprints, and what surprised her most about stepping inside GPSA.
What's the one thing that's really surprised you about GPSA?
"It's less a surprise and more something that's really impressed me: the dedication and sheer quality of output from what is a very small team.
"They punch well above their weight in the support they provide to supervision."
If you could fast-forward three years, what would you most like to have achieved or be known for?
"The Board has developed a fantastic strategic plan for the next five years, and it gives us a great roadmap.
"I'd love to look back in three years and see us well on the way to delivering on that vision."
Every good leader does a lot of listening. What is the most memorable or valuable piece of feedback you've ever heard from a peer in your career?
"I've been fortunate to have some wonderful mentors along the way, and one piece of advice has always stuck with me: you don't need to be the person in the room who knows everything.
"Surround yourself with people who know the stuff, and listen to them."
"It's shaped how I lead; I'd rather build a team I trust and genuinely listen to than feel like I have to have all the answers myself."
How do you approach decision-making when there isn't a clear map or data to tell you what the 'right' answer is?
"Sometimes you have to go with what you've got, and trust yourself and your team.
"More often than not, that gets you pretty close to the mark. And if it turns out you're wrong, you own it and make the changes needed."
On a light note, what is a habit or routine that helps you manage busy or challenging situations?
"I'm an old-fashioned notebook and list person.
"There's something about physically writing things down — being able to see, prioritise and tick things off as I go — that really helps me stay on top of things when work and life get busy."
We extend sincere thanks to Kylee for sharing her insights as she takes the helm. In GP supervision, leadership requires a unique blend of innovation, empathy, and strategic agility—qualities that Kylee is excited to bring to our community.
As we enter this new chapter, we look forward to working alongside our network of supervisors, medical educators, and health professionals to continue supporting excellence in GP supervision.
You can welcome Kyee to the GPSA community by emailing [email protected] with your thoughts on the future of GP supervision.