Nicky Wallis never fit the mould of a traditional business leader. Once a teenager without a school to attend or a future mapped out, she is now steering some of the UK’s most forward-thinking leadership programmes as the Founder and Director of TEAL Learning Solutions.
Amid record levels of workplace burnout, rising absenteeism, and escalating employee turnover, Wallis’s emotionally intelligent, impact-driven approach offers companies a lifeline. Her firm delivers measurable results by focusing on people first—a philosophy born from her own hard-fought path.
At 12, Wallis was taken out of school and relocated abroad, first to India, then to Canada. With no formal education for over two years, she taught herself from books and instinct. “I was desperate to understand people,” she explains. “What drives their choices? Why do they behave the way they do?” That fascination with human behaviour became the heart of her mission.
Although she reintegrated into education in Canada, missing key qualifications meant she couldn’t graduate. At 19, she returned to the UK alone, and by 23, she was a mother. But Wallis felt a persistent hunger for more. A friend’s passing remark led her to a part-time job in a restaurant—and unknowingly, to her calling.
She excelled immediately, becoming Assistant Manager within half a year. By 30, she was overseeing three restaurants as General Manager, transforming poor-performing sites and building high-functioning teams. Her talent for nurturing leadership potential earned her the nickname “The Manager-Making Machine.” One site under her guidance went from a 26% dip to a 32% rise in performance.
At The Restaurant Group, Wallis led training across 27 airport-based brands, equipping teams for high-pressure customer service. Her success continued at Gaucho, where she built an academy that promoted internal talent—from porters to CEOs—through tailored development pathways.
“The personal hurdles I’ve faced have actually been my greatest teachers,” she says. “They gave me perspective, empathy, and creativity; qualities that shape my work every day.”
That belief now drives TEAL Learning Solutions, which Wallis founded in June 2023. The company specialises in emotionally intelligent leadership training designed to meet the realities of today’s workplace—from cultural shifts and mental health to engagement and retention. Sushi Samba and Coya are among her rapidly expanding list of clients.
Unlike many leadership consultancies, TEAL avoids generic templates. Wallis insists on practical, evidence-based solutions designed to help teams grow from within. Whether she’s facilitating leadership retreats in Europe or advising C-suite executives, her impact is rooted in authenticity and purpose.
“We’re not just creating better leaders,” she says. “We’re helping individuals understand themselves, build empathy, and drive meaningful change.”
From uncertain beginnings to transforming company cultures, Nicky Wallis embodies the power of self-leadership—and she’s inspiring others to lead with empathy, too.
