HF Advisory
Overview
HF Advisory was founded in May 2026, a young company in name only. Established by Gary Hale, it formalises work built over four decades at the intersection of defence, national security, space, cyber security, advanced manufacturing and critical minerals, focused on innovation, partnerships and workforce skilling - building national resilience.
Gary’s career began with twenty years in the Royal Australian Air Force, rising to Wing Commander across command, capability development, strategic policy and program management roles spanning air traffic control radar, satellite communications, fast jet and space-based infrared programs, underpinned by his Master of Science in Space Operations from the US Air Force Institute of Technology. He then spent twelve years at Cisco Systems, leading global space, media and cyber security innovation across some of the world’s most complex markets.
In 2017 he took his first chief executive role, leading cyber security start-up Sapien Cyber through its formative years. From 2018, Gary spent seven years at Curtin University: first as Chief Information Security Officer, giving him first-hand experience as the customer of cyber security services; then as Chief Security Officer and Director of Defence and Space; and finally Director of the National Resilience and Security Program Office, leading skilling, research and innovation, and the DISP and Foreign Arrangements Scheme frameworks that let universities engage safely in Defence.
Across every one of those roles, Gary has built a reputation as someone trusted to do the right thing when bringing parties together. HF Advisory puts that trusted breadth to work: an independent practice building a whole-of-nation approach to national resilience across defence, space, cyber, advanced manufacturing and critical minerals. It carries an active NV-1 clearance, deep relationships across government, industry and academia, and live engagements underway across WA’s defence ecosystem.
Capabilities
A unique understanding of the WA Defence and national resilience ecosystem: built through Curtin’s Defence & Space, and National Resilience & Security roles, Henderson Alliance & Primes engagement, and live advisory work with multiple WA industry ecosystem stakeholders.
Defence Capability Development, Command & Program Management: 20 years managing air traffic control radar, satellite communications, fast jet and space-based infrared programmes in the RAAF.
Global Cyber and Space Innovation: 12 years leading cyber security, space and media innovation at Cisco Systems. He then became CEO of Sapien Cyber through its first 18 months, scaling a cyber security company into WA markets.
University National Security & Resilience leadership: First CISO for Curtin University, and stood up the DISP and Foreign Arrangements Scheme frameworks that let Curtin engage safely in sensitive Defence research. Then built the National Resilience & Defence Practice at Curtin University, to deliver defence-relevant skilling, research and innovation programs with Australian, US and UK universities.
Cross-Sector Partnership Brokering: Independent, trusted broker connecting industry, government and academia, now providing advice and connecting multiple companies and other stakeholders into revenue generating defence strategic capability and supply chain partnership opportunities.
International Defence partnerships: Drove industry, government and academic partnerships with AUKUS, Japan and aligned allies in skilling, research and innovation.
Security-cleared delivery: Active NV-1 clearance, enabling engagement inside classified and sensitive Defence environments. A strong understanding of DISP and CMMC 2.0 requirements, as well as identification and management of foreign risk.
Discriminators
Trusted by Design: A four-decade reputation as someone relied on to do the right thing when bringing government, industry and academic parties together, not just to make introductions.
A unique understanding of the WA Defence and wider national resilience ecosystem, and its opportunities.
Genuinely Independent: Not owned by, or exclusively aligned to, any prime, university, technology vendor or government agency, so can convene competitors and collaborators around a shared outcome.
A rare combination of vantage points in one career: Defence Program Manager, global cyber and space innovator, cyber security start-up CEO, university security customer, and university Defence research director.
Direct space and satellite communications delivery, not just policy: Designed the Optus C1/D Defence payload (1995-96), Australia’s first wideband satellite communications capability for Defence, and later built Cisco’s partnership with Inmarsat (2010-12) to deliver the 4G ground systems supporting the launch of its new KA-band satellites.
Direct, recent experience standing up the DISP and Foreign Arrangements Scheme frameworks that let universities and industry engage safely in sensitive Defence research.
Proven in market today, not a start-up pitch: after only one month, already live, with concurrent advisory engagements with Indigenous Defence Services IDS) and CyberCX/Accenture, CAPA Intelligence, and active relationships with the Henderson Alliance and Defence primes.
Active NV-1 security clearance, enabling engagement inside classified and sensitive environments as well as at the policy layer.
A whole-of-nation lens: consistent focus on strategic capability and supply chain resilience across defence, space, cyber, advanced manufacturing and critical minerals.
International reach: experience driving industry, government and academic partnerships with AUKUS, Japan and other aligned allies in skilling, research and innovation.