About Dr Andrew Antony Walker

I'm a Chartered Psychologist and executive and senior level coach working at the intersection of psychological science and leadership performance.

Most of my work starts with a version of the same question: Why do intelligent, motivated, well-resourced leaders consistently fall short of what they're capable of? After more than twenty years working inside complex organisations (and a career built on understanding how people think, respond to pressure, and change) I've come to believe that the gap between potential and impact is rarely a skills problem. It's almost always something more fundamental: the way we're wired, the patterns we've never examined, the systems around us that reward the wrong things.

That belief shapes everything about how I work.

My approach to coaching is grounded in evidence - in what psychological science, learning research, and organisational behaviour actually tell us about how people develop, rather than what convention assumes. This means I work differently from many coaches. I'm less interested in surface behaviour and more interested in the underlying patterns that drive it. I use my psychological background to help clients make meaningful connections between their past experiences and their current reality - connections that create new options for change that advice, frameworks, and good intentions alone rarely reach.

I also believe that genuine development is uncomfortable. Not in a damaging way - but in the way that all real learning requires encountering the edge of what you currently know. My job is to make that edge feel safe enough to stand at.

Alongside my coaching practice, I am Head of Performance and Impact at the NIHR Research Delivery Network, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research. I have spent more than fifteen years in senior health research leadership roles across the NIHR, the NHS, and universities - building and running performance systems, leading complex teams, and working with organisations navigating significant change.

I have co-authored over ten peer-reviewed academic papers and book chapters, and hosted a podcast series on research impact. I am a mentor on the NIHR Mentoring Programme and an alumnus of the King's Fund Top Manager Programme - a respected leadership development programme for senior health and care leaders with over forty years of history.

This organisational context matters to my coaching practice. I understand the environments my clients operate in (the political complexity, the resource constraints, the gap between what organisations say they value and what they actually reward) because I've worked inside them.

Credentials

Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol). Registered with the British Psychological Society. The title of Chartered Psychologist is legally recognised and reflects the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise. I practise in accordance with the BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct.

ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching and Mentoring. The highest certificate of professional coaching qualification, focused on enabling senior leaders and executives to maximise their performance and impact. I follow the Global Code of Ethics for Coaches, Mentors, and Supervisors.

PhD. Doctorate in the influence of personality and psychological variables on immunological response in recently diagnosed breast cancer patients. Original research conducted independently and published to academic standard.

MA in Management Systems - awarded with Distinction. Developing my understanding of organisational dynamics, systems thinking, and complexity. Dissertation: Understanding and Exploring Signatures of Complexity.

What clients say

Clients consistently describe the experience of working with me as both challenging and safe - which is, I think, exactly what good coaching should feel like.

"From the first session Andrew was warm, thoughtful, and considerate. His sense of humour and willingness to laugh together contributed to building a positive rapport. I gained a sense of trust in our work together through the professional way he explained everything."

"Andrew was absolutely the right side of empathetic and supportive, challenging and structured. Goals for each of the sessions were always agreed; with unintrusive check-ins to make sure the session was achieving what I was looking to get out of it."

"The experience working with Andrew was positive, productive, and sparked my thinking and reflection beyond the time spent in sessions. I felt like the conversation was authentic and honest and I left each session feeling refreshed and inspired."

"In sum, the impact of these sessions has been much improved clarity regarding how I can personally and professionally progress in the future - and exceeded my early expectations of the coaching."

Areas I work in most frequently

Leadership transitions and new roles. Team effectiveness and culture. Mindset, resilience, and performance under pressure. Imposter syndrome and self-limiting beliefs. Career development and progression. Embedding values into organisational behaviour.

Beyond the work

I have an academic background and the instinct that goes with it - I read widely, I'm drawn to ideas that challenge assumptions, and I find genuine pleasure in the kind of conversation that changes how you see something.

I collect art (figurative work mostly) and have a genuine interest in design and how spaces are put together. These aren't hobbies separate from the work; the same instinct that makes me look carefully at a room or a painting is the one that makes me useful in a coaching conversation. Attention to what's actually there, rather than what you expect to see, is most of what both require.

Raphael Mazzucco, one of the world's most influential fashion photographers and contemporary artists, described me as “one of those people you meet and know instantly that they have the potential to change your life. In a beautiful way. For someone with his incredible accolades, he is humble, sincere, direct and inquisitive. I met him at one of my art shows and his passion for art was obvious and infectious. We became fast friends and I look forward to seeing him every time I'm in England. Andrew is a compassionate, gentle soul and his warmth sets him apart and draws you in. I live for and look for inspiration everywhere and Andrew truly inspires everyone around him. I feel blessed.” I'm not sure I'd put it quite as beautifully as that. But I do take the work seriously, and I care about the people I do it with.