Delivering big tech, making bigger space for women to lead
As Chief Executive Officer at Ingenuity Partners, Hayley Crimmins sits at the intersection of complex technology and human impact. Her superpower is making sure both land.
When Hayley joined Ingenuity, there were just three women in the business. Today, there are 20 women, making up 40 percent of the team, a significant achievement in a technical consulting environment.
“My focus has always been on using technology to drive meaningful impact, and creating pathways for women to thrive in that environment,” she says.
Earlier this year, Hayley was recognised with the Women Leading Tech Award for Delivery Excellence, acknowledging her track record in leading transformative, people centred digital programs.
Hayley has successfully led some of the most significant education technology transformations across multiple Australian education departments including New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. Her expertise spans the full delivery lifecycle, from program setup and stakeholder alignment to execution and transition to business-as-usual. Hayley has been instrumental in planning and leading multi-year, high-impact programs that have modernised outdated processes, digitised enrolments and student engagement workflows, and improved access for hundreds of thousands of students, families and educators. Her ability to establish high-performing delivery teams, navigate complex government environments, and drive sustainable change has made her a sought-after leader for education departments seeking to deliver real, measurable outcomes.
“Delivery is my craft,” Hayley says. “Inclusion is my calling.”
Inside Ingenuity Partners, she founded Ladies at Ingenuity, a professional development and mentorship initiative that has supported more than 20 women across different career stages. The program combines leadership coaching, technical upskilling and structured sponsorship, and has contributed to a 30 percent increase in women in delivery roles. Hayley also championed the hiring of four female interns, achieving a 50,50 gender balanced cohort and strengthening the talent pipeline.
Her operational lens is always inclusive. She has embedded agile ways of working across teams, introducing retrospectives and dependency mapping that have improved delivery velocity by 20 percent and created more space for others to step into leadership.
Beyond her own organisation, Hayley is a visible advocate for women in STEM. A recent highlight was co leading an International Women’s Day panel with Salesforce, where she shared the stage with three other female technology leaders. The event sparked new mentorship connections and extended her impact into the wider tech community.
Her commitment to representation also runs through her personal life. Hayley proudly coaches her daughter’s netball team, seeing it as another vital arena for building confidence and leadership.
“Girls need to see strong, capable female role models early in life, in sport, in STEM, and everywhere in between,” she says. “Whether I’m on the court or in the boardroom, I lead with the same philosophy: creating space for others to rise.”
Hayley’s recognition at the Recalibrate Gender Equity Awards is not just a nod to her individual achievements. It shines a light on what happens when delivery excellence and inclusive leadership are treated as inseparable. She is helping to grow a sector where women are not only present, they are empowered to lead, deliver and redefine what is possible.