Haywood holds a PhD in Zoology and Environmental Science from the University of the Witwatersrand. She has specialist knowledge and experience in strategic environmental management, sustainability assessment and reporting, risk management, renewable energy and the green economy, particularly regarding guidance, practices, policies and legislation; strategies, tools and initiatives, and indicator development.

Haywood is responsible for the establishment of a research agenda in corporate sustainability, a review of policies relating to the establishment of a biofuel industry in African countries, a guidance which introduces systems and resilience thinking into the International Organisation for Standardisation 31000 risk management process, and a maturity tool to facilitate business to adopt resilience into their strategies, management and reporting.