Welcome to Karla Hayward: our new Manager, Tech Talent

Jun 7, 2021 | News

techNL is excited to announce that Karla Hayward will be joining our dynamic team in the role of Manager, Tech Talent. In this newly created role, Karla will be leading a team of four talent resources and engaging with techNL member companies and stakeholders to develop and execute the tech talent strategy.

Karla Hayward’s professional background is as an astute strategist and planner. In her 14 years at the largest communications firm in Eastern Canada, her work brought her into boardrooms throughout this country and the US for virtually every major industry and all levels of government. From tourism to technology, energy production to environmental stewardship, retail sales to mental health, Karla has sat at the table and collaborated with them all. Since then, she has also served at the Director level with two local organizations focusing on program recruitment and visitor attraction, respectively.

Throughout her career, Karla has proven her strong leadership and management skills, often working with diverse stakeholders to collaborate at the intersection of their varied priorities. She has a deep understanding of how to engage people and what it takes to motivate them to act. Experienced with recruitment initiatives for several universities and industry organizations, Karla has demonstrated expertise with the entire skillset required to research, ideate, plan, and execute complex programs.

Well-known for using her strong voice in service of others, Karla is a champion for members of her community. She currently serves as Co-Chair of Equal Voice NL, an organization dedicated to helping women and gender diverse individuals enter political life at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. EVNL recently completed its 2021 Campaign College which led participants through an eight-module course on campaign readiness. Karla also created two social initiatives of her own: Mighty Girls Day and Project Grow. Mighty Girls Day brought girls aged 9 to 11 together for a day of learning about many important topics, including their future careers. Project Grow put 500 container gardens into the hands of people who utilize our local community centres so that they could experience the physical and mental benefits of growing food at home.

A creative problem solver, a tireless doer, and an enthusiastic collaborator, Karla’s professional and personal background demonstrate the drive of someone actively trying to move her community and her province to a better place. She is excited to bring all her skills, experience, and energy to the job of encouraging and nurturing the talent so necessary to helping the technology sector grow and thrive.