About us

Rob Hayward

Chief Strategy Officer

Rob works with boards and leadership teams on ethical leadership and decision-making, and has a particular interest in supporting leaders in building and sustaining ethical culture.

Rob is Principia’s Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for Principia’s growth and development into new markets, industries, and offerings. He also maintains an active client practice across ethical leadership, decision-making, and culture, with particular experience in financial services, professional services, technology, and the non-profit sector.

Rob is an experienced strategy consultant specialising in ethical and responsible business. With a background in corporate strategy and sustainability, Rob has more than fifteen years’ experience advising senior leaders on their most complex challenges across environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG). Before taking on his current role, Rob served as Principia’s founding Chief Operating Officer, and as Client Services Director overseeing Principia’s consulting and advisory work across global markets.

Prior to joining Principia, Rob spent a decade at Accenture Strategy, where he started his career in private equity and M&A before becoming part of the founding team for Accenture’s Sustainability Strategy practice.

In this role, Rob led client engagements across sustainability, ESG, and responsible business, and was responsible for Accenture’s partnership with the United Nations Global Compact, including the UNGC-Accenture CEO Study, the most extensive global research programme on corporate sustainability.

Rob is an experienced board director and charity trustee, serving on the board of Shelter, the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity, and as Chair of Shelter Scotland.

Rob holds a degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford, and lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two young children.