David Hartley
Founder & Managing Principal
David founded Keystone in 1999 following an 18-year career in professional services. He specialises in strategic planning and M&A advisory for mid-to-large Australian enterprises. MBA (UNSW), MAICD.
1999
Founded
Founding Story
Built on a Principle of Honest Counsel
Keystone Advisory Partners was established in Sydney in 1999 by senior management consultant David Hartley, following an 18-year career spanning roles at two of Australia's largest professional services firms. David's founding conviction was straightforward: Australian businesses deserved a boutique advisory practice that delivered the rigour of a large firm with the personal accountability of a small one.
The practice opened with a focus on strategic planning and operational improvement for mid-market companies across New South Wales. Within three years, Keystone had expanded its team to eight consultants and broadened its capabilities to include mergers and acquisitions, human resources transformation, and investment risk advisory.
Over the following two decades, Keystone grew through referral — never through mass marketing — building a reputation for discretion, intellectual honesty, and an uncompromising commitment to client outcomes. Today, with twelve senior consultants and more than 400 completed engagements, Keystone remains privately held and resolutely independent.
