I didn’t learn resilience from a textbook.

A smiling man with short hair, facial hair, and a mustache, wearing a dark blue shirt and a black wristband, taking a selfie outdoors near a river or canal, with buildings and trees in the background.

Hello, I’m Tony.

I sit at the unique intersection of Senior Leadership and Lived Experience.

For most of my career, I was the "safe pair of hands." I spent 22 years climbing the ladder in the Civil Service and Macmillan Cancer Support, managing budgets, leading teams, and driving strategy.

But while my CV said "Success," my nervous system said "Survival."

I founded Tony Addison Consultancy because I realised the corporate world is not built for leaders who are also navigating complex home lives. It demands we leave our "real selves" at the door, precisely when we need to bring our whole selves to work.

I am here to help you stop hiding and start engineering a career that fits your reality.

My 27-Year Apprenticeship in "Hiding"

I talk about the "Inauthenticity Tax" because I have paid it myself for nearly three decades.

For 27 years, I navigated the workplace with a visible Upper Limb Difference. I became an expert at "masking" - managing my posture, my sleeves, and my environment to fit into a world designed for two hands. I thought I was being professional. Actually, I was exhausting myself.

Then, the stakes changed.

Following my son’s diagnosis with Autism and ADHD, my "masking" shifted from physical to emotional. I was heavily focused on my leadership role by day, and fighting the SEN system by night. I was navigating tribunals, managing meltdowns, and showing up to Board meetings pretending I had slept.

I reached a breaking point where I had to choose: My Ambition or My Family?

I chose neither. I chose a Third Way.

A man and a boy taking a selfie on a pier at sunset, with the ocean and a hill in the background.

Architecture, Not Just Empathy

My approach isn't just based on "feeling it." It is based on Structural Engineering and Psychology. I combined my lived experience with rigorous academic study to build The Executive Pivot Protocol™.

19 Years Leadership: Senior roles in the Civil Service and the Charity Sector (Macmillan). I understand the commercial realities you face. I don't give advice that will get you fired; I give advice that gets you retained.

MSc Applied Positive Psychology: I hold a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology. My methods are evidence-based, moving beyond "wellness fluff" to scientifically validated interventions for resilience and post-traumatic growth.

Kindness & Integrity: I am an Introvert and a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). I lead with quiet authority. My coaching space is a judgement-free zone where you can finally drop the mask.

When I'm not coaching...

I continuously like to challenge myself, whether that’s via Sky Diving, Flying a Helicopter, or doing Stand-up Comedy!

Two skydivers free-falling high above the coastline, one in a helmet and goggles holding onto the other, with the ocean and land visible below and a clear blue sky.
A man smiling, wearing a black hat, glasses with one lens flipped up, a white shirt, black tie, and black jacket, with a backdrop of signs reading 'CALS' and 'GAY'. the image appears to be indoors with purple lighting.
Smiling man in sunglasses and headset inside a helicopter taking a selfie, with police helicopter visible outside on tarmac.

Contact us

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