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About Nuevo Ascend

The Story Behind The Work

Every consultancy has an origin. Ours begins at dawn, on a street corner, with an eleven-year-old boy delivering newspapers in the dark.

Leon Francis
Leon Francis
Founder &
Director

"I was a manager at 16 with no mentor, no roadmap, and no one who looked like me at the top. I figured it out — and spent the next 20 years building the playbook I wish I'd had."

Nuevo Ascend was not built from a business plan. It was built from a life — a 20-year leadership career that took its founder from a paper boy at eleven, to a manager at sixteen, to hosting visits with Apple CEO Tim Cook, to winning the Black British Business Award in 2024.

Leon Francis has led at every level of the organisations he has worked in. Multi-site retail operations at Sainsbury's and Argos, including serving as Strategic Advisor to CEO Simon Roberts on inclusion matters. Senior Manager at Apple across Operations, CX and B2B relationship management, and head of one of the largest diversity networks across the UK.

In 2024, Leon won the Black British Business Award in the Consumer and Luxury category — an award sponsored by the Financial Times — for the success at Apple and of Nuevo Noir Ltd.

The Journey

From Paper Boy
To Tim Cook

AGE 11First Job

The Paper Boy

At eleven years old, Leon Francis was up before dawn delivering newspapers. The work ethic that built a 20-year career began here.

AGE 16UK Retail

Manager at Sixteen

Leon became a manager — one of the youngest in UK retail — leading a team of adults with no manual, no mentor, and no roadmap.

🏪 One of the Youngest Managers in UK Retail
20+ YEARSSainsbury's & Argos

Two Decades of Operational Leadership

Multi-site management. Team development. Commercial accountability. Also served as Strategic Advisor to Sainsbury's CEO Simon Roberts on inclusion matters.

APPLESenior Manager

The Apple Chapter

Senior Manager across Operations, customer experience and B2B. Head of one of the largest diversity networks across the UK. Hosted visits with Apple CEO Tim Cook, and interviewed Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, Ebro Darden.

🤝 Recognised at Global Leadership Level — Apple
2022Nuevo Group

Building Nuevo Noir

While holding a full-time senior career, Leon founded Nuevo Noir Ltd — a premium grooming brand built from nothing.

2024BBBA

BBBA Winner — Sponsored by the Financial Times

Won the Black British Business Award in the Consumer and Luxury category — sponsored by the Financial Times.

🏆 BBBA 2024 — Consumer & Luxury — FT Sponsored
2026Nuevo Ascend Ltd

The Next Chapter

Nuevo Ascend Ltd was founded to package 20+ years of lived leadership into coaching, consultancy, workshops and programmes. The entire story — from paper boy to Tim Cook — is now the product.

What Drives Us

Our Values

01

Authenticity

Everything we deliver is grounded in real-world experience. We teach from the career — every role, every setback, every lesson.

02

Equity

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. We exist to close that gap — particularly for young people and underrepresented professionals.

03

Excellence

We hold ourselves and our clients to high standards — because we know what people are capable of when someone genuinely believes in them.

04

Impact

We lead with purpose, not just profit. Every coaching session and workshop exists to create real change in individuals and organisations.

Why Nuevo Ascend

The Credential
No Qualification Can Replicate

🏪

Manager at 16

One of the youngest managers in UK retail — leading adults before most had their first job.

🏢

20+ Years Operational Leadership

Multi-site leadership across Sainsbury's and Argos. Real commercial accountability at scale.

🍎

Apple Senior Manager

Operations, CX, B2B and DEI programme delivery at one of the world's most iconic organisations.

🏆

BBBA 2024 Winner

Black British Business Award, Consumer & Luxury — sponsored by the Financial Times.

🎓

BA Honours — Business & Marketing

Academic foundation underpinning two decades of operational and strategic leadership.

🌐

Young Black Role Model

Navigated every barrier and rose to the very top — with honesty, authority and genuine empathy.

Our Mission

"To develop the next generation of leaders — and the organisations that employ them — with the tools, mindset, and confidence to ascend."

Nuevo Ascend is a leadership development and consultancy organisation specialising in leadership growth, team performance, and career progression.

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Work WithNuevo Ascend

Whether you are an individual ready to invest in your leadership, or an organisation building something better — the conversation starts here.

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