Hayley Barnard

Hayley Barnard is the Managing Director and Diversity Strategist at MIX Diversity Developers, helping organisations become more innovative and profitable through developing both a more diverse workforce and diverse customer base.

MIX’s clients include BAE Systems, Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile, Diageo and the Care Quality Commission to name a few and were delighted to have been nominated by one of their clients and then shortlisted for the HR Supplier of the Year Award from Personnel Today.

When Hayley was in her 20s she was in a rush... After quickly rising to become General Manager of Sir Chay Blyth’s ‘Challenge Business’ at 23, she went on to secure her first board level post by 26. Hayley studied marketing at postgraduate level and later founded her own communications and sponsorship business with Debra Searle MVO, MBE of which she is still a board director today.

Now in her 40s, Hayley wants to ensure that her time and effort is spent in effecting positive change for her clients. Her vision is that, by empowering business people, we can foster a culture of inclusivity both inside and outside the workplace – it’s this that brought about the birth of MIX Diversity Developers.

Hayley has a very personal interest in Diversity and Inclusion as many of the ‘protected characteristics’ have impacted on her life in some way. Having always been fascinated by religions and the impact they have on people’s behaviour, she chose to study Religious Studies for her first degree, specialising in Islam.

Hayley has a number of close family members who are gay and also has two children who have a disability. Needless to say, as a woman she holds more than a passing interest in gender balance and her early senior posts in her 20s left her questioning how those of differing generations can work more affectively.

Hayley is committed to seeing all achieve their potential regardless of their gender, sexuality, age, religion, race, sexuality or personality type.