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About us

A firm built on full firm support

Our clients receive full firm support. Every consultant can reach back into the EMA Advisory team for guidance and advice from other commercial and business subject matter experts — at no additional cost.

Who we are

Timely, informed and practical advice

EMA Advisory provides dedicated support through the provision of qualified commercial resources. Our team draws on the combined experience of the firm to test and sharpen its advice, resulting in timely, informed and practical guidance for our clients.

We deliver transformative results by utilising the team's wealth of commercial expertise — across procurement, contract management, probity, program delivery and commercial strategy for federal, state and local government, and for the industry partners who serve them.

Qualified

Our team is qualified in law, complex government procurement, and business and project management.

Experienced

Decades of current, hands-on experience across Defence, national intelligence, and civilian agencies — from ICT sourcing to capability programs.

Security cleared

EMA Advisory is Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) certified, and our team are all AGSVA security cleared.

Responsive

We are an agile team, enabling rapid client request response times and practical advice when it is needed.

Our people

The practitioners who do the work

Every engagement is led and delivered by senior practitioners. Select a profile to read their background.

Our clients

Federal, state and local — direct and through partners

EMA Advisory supports a broad client base across federal, state and local government, both directly and through other organisations.

We specialise in delivering expert commercial and procurement advisory services that help our clients navigate complex policy, contractual and operational requirements. Our team brings deep experience in end-to-end procurement, contract management, commercial strategy and stakeholder engagement — particularly in high-value, high-risk or remote service delivery environments.

Whether supporting government agencies directly, or advising industry partners seeking to deliver value to the public sector, we are trusted to provide practical, strategic solutions that deliver results.

  • Department of Defence
  • National intelligence community
  • Civilian Commonwealth agencies
  • State & territory government
  • Local government
  • Defence & space industry
Connected to community

Proud to give back

At EMA Advisory we are proud to give back to the community, both as a company and as individuals. Our team actively volunteers time, skills and resources to support local initiatives, community events and not-for-profit organisations.

Whether through company-supported programs or personal commitments, we are passionate about contributing to meaningful causes, strengthening regional connections, and helping build a more resilient and inclusive future for all.

See what we have been part of
Engaging us

Straightforward pathways to get us started

Start your journey with EMA Advisory by reaching out to discuss your procurement and commercial challenges. We take the time to understand your needs and deliver tailored, practical solutions that enable successful outcomes.

Commonwealth Government engagement

You can engage EMA Advisory through several established panels:

Digital Marketplace Panel 2
SON4102906
Cloud Marketplace
SON3668352
ANAO Panel
SON3921486

Under Exemption 17: SME Exemption (up to $500,000), Commonwealth agencies may directly engage EMA Advisory for goods or services (excluding construction). This exemption streamlines procurement, reduces transaction costs, and supports Australian economic development by enabling direct sourcing from SMEs under Clause 5.6 of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs).

State & Territory Government engagement

You can also access EMA Advisory through the relevant state and territory tender portals:

New South Wales
buy.nsw
Victoria
Buying for Victoria
Queensland
QTenders
Western Australia
Tenders WA
South Australia
SA Tenders & Contracts
Tasmania
Tasmanian Government Tenders
Northern Territory
NT Government Tenders Online
Australian Capital Territory
Tenders ACT
New Zealand Government engagement

EMA Advisory is available to New Zealand government buyers through the New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS).

Talk to us about an engagement
Plan. Deliver. Achieve.

Let's get the work moving

Reach out and we will put the right senior practitioner in front of you.

Get in touch Explore our services

Emma Haskard

Founder & Director

Emma is a senior procurement and commercial specialist with over 15 years' experience advising on strategic ICT procurement, commercial frameworks, vendor governance and negotiations for Commonwealth Government clients. She has led multi-million-dollar sourcing initiatives, including the Integrated Land Target Systems (ILTS) Program, where she implemented a Procurement-as-a-Service model, established privacy governance, and created scalable delivery structures endorsed by senior Defence stakeholders.

Emma's expertise lies in complex procurement design, stakeholder alignment and contract lifecycle planning. Her strength in translating strategic needs into actionable procurement outcomes ensures value-for-money decisions that are both auditable and sustainable.

Kelly Barlow

Principal Consultant — Space Capabilities

Kelly is a highly experienced commercial and project management professional with a specific background in contract advisory for SATCOM acquisitions. Kelly is a PRINCE2 Practitioner and has supported both commercial and military satellite acquisitions. As a SATCOM subject matter expert, Kelly provides commercial and procurement advice throughout the duration of the space capability's lifecycle.

In recognition of Kelly's work, she received a personal letter of appreciation from Air Marshal WG McDonald, Chief of Joint Capabilities, in support of successfully representing Defence in rapid SATCOM contract negotiations in April 2020.

David Jenkins

Principal Consultant

David is a highly experienced commercial professional working across procurement, contract management and project management roles for government (state and federal) as well as within the private sector. As an innovative and dynamic management professional, David has contributed to the successful delivery of a number of high-profile and complex technology and ICT based projects.

David uses his commercial expertise to confidently drive and deliver ICT system development, upgrade and support projects, along with facilitating evaluation processes and contract negotiations.

Hugh Abbot

Senior Consultant

Hugh has over 30 years' experience as a contract manager supporting ICT project delivery across Federal Government and Defence. Hugh's key attributes are his ability to effectively engage with all project stakeholders, to lead negotiations to successful outcomes, and to use his highly developed commercial acumen to ensure commercial opportunities are maximised.

Hugh has worked across industry, Federal Government and Defence, where he has gained exceptional and unique knowledge and skills in contract management, negotiation, communication, strategic positioning and influencing outcomes. During his career Hugh has also worked across international jurisdictions, including providing contract management for clients in South-East Asia.

Chelsey Wicomb

Senior Consultant

Chelsey is an experienced project and service delivery manager specialising in ICT, cloud platforms and Defence capability projects. She has a proven track record of leading complex, high-stakes initiatives across the Australian Government, Defence and National Intelligence sectors.

With expertise in service performance management, contract negotiations, stakeholder engagement and governance frameworks, Chelsey ensures the successful delivery of critical national security and ICT capabilities. Her work spans strategic planning, service optimisation and multi-agency collaboration, supporting Defence and intelligence operations with innovative and effective solutions.

Nathan Ward

Senior Consultant

Nathan brings over 25 years of Federal Government experience in ICT procurement, strategic sourcing and panel governance. His background includes leading procurement reform for the ATO, DFAT and MDBA, with a focus on complex multi-party ICT arrangements and defensible financial models.

Nathan is highly experienced in whole-of-government procurement structures, strategic risk management, and aligning cost attribution models to enterprise service frameworks.

Rowena Hamood

Senior Consultant

Rowena is an experienced procurement, contract and project management professional specialising in Commonwealth procurement, Defence programs and complex contract delivery. She brings a strong track record supporting high-assurance projects across the Department of Defence, the Australian Signals Directorate and state government, operating confidently in sensitive and highly regulated environments.

With expertise spanning procurement strategy, contract management, project operations and governance, Rowena supports the successful delivery of complex capability and ICT initiatives. Rowena is recognised for her analytical capability, stakeholder engagement skills and sound judgement, enabling her to interpret complex information, manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes with resilience and accountability.

Kylie Rae Alcorn

Senior Consultant

As a seasoned leader in Defence and Government, Kylie Rae brings deep expertise in strategic engagement, governance and program delivery. Kylie Rae has held senior roles across Defence and industry, including as Chief of Staff to the Associate Secretary of Defence, where she led high-level ministerial, governance and reform initiatives.

She also adds significant commercial strength, with capabilities in portfolio risk, contract governance and cross-sector collaboration. Known for her ability to bridge the needs of industry and Defence, Kylie Rae applies innovative and agile thinking to help clients navigate complexity and deliver results.

Kurt Thompson

Senior Consultant

Kurt is an experienced commercial advisor with over six years managing complex contractual arrangements, ICT procurement activity and vendor negotiations for the Commonwealth. He has demonstrated this proficiency through positive stakeholder engagement, negotiating contracts and contract variations, and proactive performance and financial management — achieving favourable outcomes for the Commonwealth consistent with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules, Accountable Authority Instructions and the PGPA Act.

Kurt excels at driving value from contract management functions and implementing effective, strategic commercial strategies and processes.