OUR FOUNDING INTENTION
The Academy of Alchemy was founded in 2025 by Andrew Wallas. Driven by a desire to share a rich breadth of wisdom - both ancient and modern - Andrew envisioned a platform that could reach a global audience while remaining accessible to all.
As with every venture he has created, the foundation of the Academy began with a clear and purposeful intention - one that continues to guide its growth, shape its community, and define its impact.
At its core, intention is the creative force through which vision becomes reality.
It begins as an inner impulse, directed with purpose, and carries within it the seed of all that seeks to be created. Like any seed, its growth depends upon the richness of its environment and the care and attention it is given.
Our intention for the Academy of Alchemy is:
To reach one million people, facilitate life-changing experiences, for less than £1 per week, creating a community based on love, kindness and collaboration, whilst creating £20 million in value.
An intention can also be distilled into a series of concise points, as shown.
OUR FOUNDERS AND TEACHERS
ANDREW WALLAS
Founder & Chairman
Over the past 40 years, Andrew Wallas has guided business leaders and companies, both large and small, to fulfil more of their latent potential.
Andrew embodies a rare combination of highly successful businessman and intuitive corporate shaman. He is both recognised in the outer world as a respected businessman with a sharp intellect and acumen, as well as being seen as an inner world guide with a deep insight and mystical intuition.
He began his career in business in 1974 in the Financial Services industry in London and became Chief Executive of Nelson Hurst & Marsh Limited. He grew this business with 60% per annum compound growth over 10 years and it was sold to Citigroup for £52 million in 1986. By 1982 he realised that the rapid growth in outer financial success was correlated with a sense of inner meaninglessness and loneliness. He left the City at the peak of his financial career.
A subsequent spiritual crisis and awakening led to a 3 year degree at Theological College studying theology and philosophy. He subsequently gained a masters degree in psychology. Following several trainings in psychotherapy, he opened a thriving clinical practice in North London, working with individuals and groups.
In 1993, he returned to the city to establish Andrew Wallas & Marsh Limited in the Financial Services sector and expanded the business from 2 to 235 staff with revenue of £28m and profit of £2.6 m. He subsequently sold the business for £26 million. Later, he became Chairman of Martello Underwriting Limited (incorporating P I Direct) in 2004 and sold the business to the Royal Sun Alliance.
From 2006 to 2012 Andrew worked with individuals, groups and organisations creating transformation in personal and business lives. He combined his business experience with years of inner enquiry to establish a unique approach to change which includes body work, breath expansion, psycho-drama, intense emotional release, gestalt formulation, constellation work and soul purpose.
In 2012 he founded Business Alchemy Limited with the intention to create a global business, through transforming organisations, embodying light heartedness and achieving recognition as a pioneer. Instead of focusing on the outer machinations of a business, Business Alchemy explores the hidden internal dynamics of an organisation. These blocks inhibit the best efforts of the board of directors and staff to move the organisation forward. By unearthing and diagnosing these blocks, the energy is released and the strategic direction of the business flows in accordance with desired goals, outcomes and profitability.
Andrew specialises in mindfulness, viewing a business as a living organism, the concept of flow, the power of intention, the importance of clearing blocks, the need for alignment, the value of synchronicity and the experience of alchemy.
Andrew is the author of Intention, published by Aster and Business Alchemy, published by LID publishing.
PHILIP TENNANT
Founder & CEO
Philip is the CEO and Founder of The Academy of Alchemy, a transformational platform focused on personal and business development through philosophy, psychology, creativity, and modern alchemy. Alongside this, he runs a music and social media company specialising in artist development, digital strategy, streaming growth, and audience building across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify. His work sits at the intersection of culture, creativity, and commercial strategy, helping artists, brands, and thought leaders build meaningful global reach in the digital age.
Philip has been responsible for generating over 500 million views across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, creating campaigns that connect storytelling, audience psychology, and viral engagement. His expertise spans content strategy, social media growth, artist positioning, and long-term brand development, with a particular focus on turning creative vision into sustainable commercial success.
Before moving fully into digital strategy and platform building, Philip spent many years as a record producer, label owner and manager, building an extensive international career across music production and artist development. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in the sale of more than 20 million records and has worked and toured with artists around the world including Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Waterboys, Pixie Lott, and many others.
His background combines deep creative experience with entrepreneurial leadership, allowing him to move fluently between artistic development, strategic growth, and business innovation. Whether building artists, companies, or transformational learning platforms, Philip’s work is driven by the same principle: creating meaningful, lasting impact through clarity, vision, and connection.
RUTH MADDISON
Founder & Designer
Ruth is a highly experienced marketing and project management consultant who brings ideas to life with clarity, purpose and heart. She is known for turning visions into meaningful, well-executed initiatives - combining creativity and expertise with an instinctive understanding of what drives her audience.
For more than a decade, Ruth has worked closely with Andrew Wallas, an experience that has deeply shaped the way she thinks and perceives others. As a founding member of the Academy of Alchemy, she continues to draw on these teachings, weaving them into her life and work.
Her career spans corporate, charity and entrepreneurial sectors, where she has led a wide range of impactful work. Highlights include directing The Swift Project, supporting over 100 women to build confidence and grow their businesses, and leading a heritage project celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilees - culminating in a film and touring exhibition that received personal recognition from the Queen.
At the heart of Ruth’s work is a genuine passion for helping people and organisations find and express their authentic voice. She finds real joy in supporting others to step into their potential and create work and lives that feel aligned, purposeful and fulfilling. Her work with the Academy of Alchemy reflects a simple belief: when people are supported to grow from within, powerful, lasting transformation becomes possible.
FOUNDING TEACHERS
SHOMIT MITTER
M.Phil (Oxon), Ph.D (Cantab), Dip Hyp Dip PLT&SRT
Shomit Mitter is one of London's leading therapists. His success is in large part due to his determination to uncover the deep-seated causes of a client's ailment rather than simply to paper over the cracks with suggestions and affirmations. He lays a lot of emphasis on empowering his clients by teaching them techniques such as meditation so that they can maintain their state of wellbeing well after therapy is concluded.
HELEN JOHNSON
A fully qualified: Osteopath, Naturopath, Cranial Osteopath, and Homeopath. She runs The River School of Homeopathy. Through years and years of treating people she understands that trauma and its impact on health is so often at the core of illnesses like M.E., auto-immune diseases, infertility, obesity, addiction, ADHD and depression. She still teaches homeopathy at The Lakeland College of Homeopathy and at The Centre of Homeopathic Education.
FIONA ARRIGO
Fiona’s 40 years of combining western psychology with eastern mysticism has informed her perspective to both personal and collective healing.
Qualified as a Biodynamic Psychotherapist, and having worked in private practice she co-founded one of the first holistic detox programmes in the UK, Stop the World in the early 1990's. In 2010, Fiona evolved this into her highly acclaimed signature 1-2-1 bespoke retreat, The Arrigo Programme.
ROSS J BARR
Celebrated for both his warm approach and the results he achieves, his work is regularly featured in the national press and has made him the acupuncturist of choice in both the fashion and beauty industries. Ross studied Japanese Seitai Chiropractic Body Therapy under the renowned Master Tatsuo Nakamura. Specialising in Five Element Acupuncture – the ancient Chinese theory that mind, body and spirit are made up of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water - through his treatments he strives to keep these creative and controlling energies in perfect balance to achieve ultimate wellbeing.
STEVEN D’SOUZA
CEO and Founder of Liminal Edge Consulting his work involves helping leaders unlock hidden capabilities for leadership transformation. He has also written six bestselling books, including: Not Knowing- The Art of Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity' which won the Chartered Management Institute for the 'Management and Leadership Book of the Year' in 2015 and 'Not Doing- The Art of Effortless Action'. In 2021 he published 'Not Being' on Identity and Transformation. His most recent book is 'Shadows at Work- Harness Your Dark Side and Unlock Your Leadership Potential'
DEBBIE FRANK
Debbie is a renowned astrologer who has been in practice since 1984. She has also written horoscopes and columns for some of the UK's biggest publications including the Daily Mail online, Sunday Express, Hello, Instyle, Sunday Mirror and Daily Mirror. She was also on BBC’s Radio 2 Steve Wright Show where she was the regular guest astrologer. Her most famous client was the late Princess Diana and Debbie became one of her inner circle in 1989 and they remained steadfast friends up until her death. Debbie is a respected author of Birth Signs, Baby Signs and her most recent book: Manifest with Astrology