About Dave Grosvenor

I’m a senior commercial and procurement executive with more than 25 years’ experience across defence, transport, energy, telecommunications, higher education and social services, including three SES Band 1 roles at Transport for NSW.

 

My career has been built on one consistent theme: helping organisations make better commercial decisions, manage risk with confidence and build procurement functions that work.

 

Career highlights

• Led teams at Transport for NSW that established more than 300 contracts worth over $5 billion, delivering more than $350 million in savings.

• Led the whole-of-government NSW Government Legal Services Panel ($650 million spend, $90 million savings over five years), winning the support of every cluster General Counsel.

• Stood up a new 35-person commercial management team at Transport for NSW, accountable for 450 open ICT contracts valued above $2.5 billion.

• Led Transport for NSW’s 2014 procurement accreditation program (eight workstreams, 80 staff), achieving the highest level available.

• At Uniting NSW.ACT, wrote a new ICT procurement policy and established a professional services panel built on fixed-price, defined deliverables, with projected savings of $2.5 million a year.

• Led the implementation of SAP Ariba at Transport for NSW, bringing 900 suppliers onto the Ariba Network.

• Completed 18 NSW ICT Assurance Framework Gateway Reviews for programs valued at more than $1.1 billion.

 

Defence and teaching

I began my career in the Department of Defence, where I received a Naval Support Commander Commendation (1991) for the distribution of RAN materiel during the Gulf War. As RAN Liaison Officer in Philadelphia, I secured critical spares for the Navy, work recognised with a Chief of Naval Staff Commendation (1996; the role is now known as Chief of Navy). I also spent 20 years lecturing in business, leadership, logistics and project management with TAFE NSW and Charles Sturt University.

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Policy and public contribution

I write and speak on restoring Australia’s sovereign industry capability:

• “A national audit for a stronger Australia”, Defence Connect (June 2026)

• “First find Australia’s economic vulnerabilities, then vigorously fix them”, ASPI The Strategist (July 2026)

• Guest on Defence Connect’s Contested Ground podcast (June 2026)

• Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence inquiry into national civil preparedness and resilience (September 2026)

• RUSI NSW members’ briefing, “A National Audit for a Stronger Australia” (September 2026): watch the recording

Links to all of this work are on my Sovereign Industry page, and my latest thinking is on the Blog.

 

Qualifications

Master of Supply Chain Management (GPA 6.56/7), Southern Cross University; Bachelor of Business, University of Technology Sydney (GPA 5.7/7); Member, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS); Accredited NSW Government ICT Assurance Framework Gateway Reviewer; Justice of the Peace (NSW).

 

Working together

Through Dave Grosvenor Advisory, I help organisations strengthen procurement, reduce commercial risk and build the capability to operate with confidence. If your organisation needs experienced commercial leadership for a major sourcing program, a governance uplift, an assurance review or interim executive support, I’d be glad to help. See my full capability statement or download my resume below.