Nicky’s first career spanned 27 years in the Armed Forces, serving in the Field Army, as well as in strategy, policy and finance roles in Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence. As a private secretary, she worked at the heart of Government, supporting the Secretary of State for Defence during fast moving operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Cumbria (attending Cabinet Office briefings with the Secretary of State throughout the ‘Foot and Mouth’ crisis). Her expertise and insights as a leader were developed throughout a range of ‘command’ roles, as a Training Company Commander, Training Regiment Commander and Director of her specialism. In her most significant leadership role, she led some 4,500 soldiers within the Army’s personnel and finance function.

In 2012, Nicky left the Army to set up What Good Leadership Looks Like. She now helps companies develop their people and make transformative and sustainable improvements in leadership and culture. Her clients include UK, multinational and global corporations in sectors as diverse as financial services, health, oil and gas, construction, media and law. She supports executive teams and individuals as a leadership, change and career coach.

In 2018, Nicky made her TV debut as on-screen contributor to Secret Agent Selection: WW2 (BBC)/Churchill’s Secret Agents (Netflix). This five-part living history series, resurrects the assessment and training programme of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), one of World War 2's most covert organisations. The series charts the ingenuity and creativity of Britain’s covert wartime response and aptly illustrates the power of hitherto untapped talent and a positive mindset, as seemingly ordinary men and women discover that they are capable of extraordinary things.

More recently, Nicky was part of a small creative team which brought English National Opera’s