Nicola’s career began in 1992 in Scotland within the academic field at the primary level, where she was promoted to senior leader, a position she held for 15 years. She then moved to Abu Dhabi in 2015 and worked as an executive coach and management trainer in the corporate world throughout the MENA region. During this time, she has coached and trained leaders across UAE and beyond in many areas including coaching skills, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, decision-making, adaptive leadership, and mental toughness.

Academically, Nicola holds an MSc (Dist) in Applied Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology from the University of East London and her dissertation was published in the Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology. Her master’s research was presented at the 2019 Positive Psychology and Happiness Conference in Dubai and the 2021 Middle East Psychological Association in Kuwait.

Nicola is also a Certified Positive Psychology Practitioner. In addition, she is a Certified Facilitator in using LEGO® SERIOUS® PLAY® for Positive Psychology. She was invited by the UAE Ministry of Education to deliver workshops on Positive Education and Positive Psychology during the Pandemic in Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Al Ain. She has presented workshops on Positive Psychology Coaching and LEGO® SERIOUS® PLAY® for Positive Psychology: A Meaningful Interaction for Well-Being, Positive Emotions and Connectedness at the International Psychology Conference Dubai (IPCD 2020, 2021).

Nicola is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). As a licenced user of the MTQ product family, she wrote a case study based on executive coaching for mental toughness with educational leaders, which won the International Coaching Federation Inspiration Journeys Competition.

She is also a Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and provides pro-bono support for EMCC members worldwide by accompanying them through the accreditation process. She is a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS) and is currently working towards becoming a Chartered Coaching Psychologist.