Grounded in deep experience across sectors, coaching, and governance, Tesse provides guidance that strengthens self-awareness and informs strategic action for sustainable leadership.
As a governance and leadership specialist, Tesse empowers individuals and organisations to lead with clarity, compassion, and accountability. Her human-centred approach draws from decades of experience across sectors, tailoring each engagement to meet the unique needs of boards, executives, and teams navigating complexity and change.
Tesse has a background in law, mediation, and organizational development.
She brings over 35 years of experience supporting leadership in the nonprofit, public, and international sectors.
Tesse is a consultant, trainer, CEDR-accredited mediator and non-practising solicitor. She was formerly head of governance and trustee services at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and has worked extensively with third sector organisations locally, nationally, and internationally. In recent years she has been undertaking coaching and mentoring assignments with small and medium size businesses and large social enterprises. While running a portfolio of small business projects, Tesse is also senior associate of Advanced HE and Associate of Mark Adderley Limited.
Tesse is an accredited coach, specialising in governance, development and leadership. She served as non-executive director in the NHS for 12 years. Her focus is on enhancing wellbeing, resilience and harmonious professional relationships for C-suite executives, senior leaders and trustee boards.
As a creative she writes poetry and finds healing through expression and journalling.
Tesse Akpeki is Founder of Future Focus Wellbeing and Resilience, Bates Wells’ lead governance consultant working closely with Bates Wells charity lawyers .
For over 35 years, Tesse provides non-profits with organisational development and training. She is highly regarded for her human-centred approach to governance and facilitation of the implementation of good leadership and governance practice. She regularly guides charity boards through performance management, strategic reviews, coaching and mentoring support to governance reviews, board assessments, skills audits, mediation and conflict resolution.
Recognising that the governance goes beyond the ‘legals’ and the human aspects of governance are of paramount importance, the team at Bates Wells and Tesse works collaboratively with networks and organisations to provide a holistic, comprehensive and seamless service. We also recognise that national law requirements may affect our governance recommendations. Her human to human focus enables her to shape strategies and techniques that have been proven be effective.
An award winning Governance Advocate and Master Coach
She is a Champion for Governance 2023 (Chartered Governance Institute United Kingdom and Ireland), Fellow for the Association for Coaches (AoC), member of the Havard Business Review Advisory Council and a member of the Mckinsey Global Survey Panel. Tesse and cohost Paula Okonneh have connected with over 500,000 individuals and organisations through three podcasts TesseTalks (professional focus) and TesseLeads (personal focus) and Future Focus Wellbeing and Resilience . Her passion is supporting and enabling the brilliance in organisations and people. Her framework of compassionate accountability brings a world leading edge to leadership. Success for Tesse is helping a fast changing world by touching organisations and people one encounter at a time.
Here are some common questions I’m asked about my work and the vision behind Future Focus Wellbeing and Resilience.
What has led you to found Future Focus?
In 2020, I fulfilled a long-held dream to set up a project dedicated to Wellbeing and Leadership. It was called the Leadership and Resilience Leadership Initiative. The project was well received, offering support and encouragement to leaders throughout the pandemic and several years afterwards.
Based on the success of this leadership initiative, I decided to incorporate the learning and feedback into a more formal model aimed at twinning strategic thinking and design to wellbeing and resilience.
What is important to you for Future Focus Wellbeing and Resilience?
I am passionate about working collaboratively with organisations, networks, movements, and individuals. I have no desire to reinvent the wheel. There are so many challenges in the world, and there is so much that can be achieved by compassionate caring.
Bringing people together and supporting teams is my passion. And I am well aware I cannot achieve my dream on my own. I have a vision, and it is a vision that can only be achieved with and through others.
What does success look like for you?
Success is left to feel alone in the world. Future Focus Wellbeing and Resilience is about putting an arm around organisations and individuals and saying “we are here for you. You are seen, felt and heard. You matter. We care, we share and we bring competence, compassion and connection to the table”.
