Tessa Boshoff is HR vice president at Wall Street English International and is based in Barcelona. The 46-year-old, originally from South Africa, moved to London in her early 20s before relocating to Spain six years ago with her husband — her childhood sweetheart — and their two daughters, now 15 and 12. With a career spanning major brands such as Starbucks, The Body Shop and Gap Inc., she now plays a key role in shaping HR strategy at the global English language learning provider. Outside work, she enjoys exploring Barcelona’s vibrant culture, cooking South African and Catalan dishes and spending time with the family’s rescue dog, Leo.
I wake up at 6.30 am along with my daughters — early by Spanish standards. The first part of my morning is all about getting them ready: making breakfast, packing snacks and ushering them out the door by 7:15.
‘First Coffee’ perfectly describes my morning ritual. Once they’re off, I finally get my own morning started with a cup while reviewing my agenda and journaling for 15 minutes. No scrolling — I actually deleted Meta and TikTok from my phone after realising how much time they were taking up.
I then take my dog, Leo, for a walk in a nearby park before heading to work. Having worked at a coffee company, I’ve developed a real soft spot for a good coffee, so I always make a point to pick up a great cup on my way to the office.
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My bus ride takes about 30 minutes, and I have to say it’s difficult not to get lost in the beautiful scenery, as my route follows Passeig de Gracia, passing by two of Gaudis masterpieces: Casa Batllo and Casa Mila. It’s an inspiring way to start the day.
When I get to the office, I have a second coffee. Then I review my meeting schedule and transfer key priorities from my master task list in Teams to my daily planner.
Since I work with colleagues across different time zones, I prioritise calls from India, Hong Kong and Korea, between 8:30 and 11am — the only window where we overlap. I try to prioritise deep work during this period of the day as well, focusing on progressing key goals, initiatives or projects. Email discipline is still a work in progress.
Adjusting to Spain’s lunch culture was a learning curve after 15+ years in London. I used to eat a sandwich at my desk, as most Londoners do; but in Barcelona, taking a proper break is important.
I had to unlearn the habit of eating at my desk and relearn to take a break and enjoy my food. Sometimes I meet colleagues or friends for lunch; it’s a much-needed reset. I usually grab a sandwich or have a menú del día (menu of the day), which comprises a starter, a main dish and a dessert.
Skills-based hiring and internal talent marketplaces are going to be game changers in HR. Job descriptions are evolving into skills-matching software, while employees will have more opportunities to engage in internal projects that align with their abilities. Additionally, organisations will adopt new approaches and technologies to enhance cultural competence, enabling more effective scaling and collaboration.
The most impactful HR professionals drive both people and business benefits, and I think people who want to get ahead need to be brave. HR often stands at a crossroads of critical business decisions, and you may find yourself in rooms where you’re the only one standing in the way of a business decision that could negatively impact the company culture.
My afternoons are a mix of one-on-one meetings with the CEO and leadership team, problem-solving and working on projects like acquisitions, and rolling out OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) across the organisation. This is also when I have coaching or guidance conversations with any of the team members who need it.
I’ve experimented with many techniques to stay productive during the day, and the Pomodoro method works best for me — either 25/5 or 50/10 cycles to sustain focus.I play music in my office every day – It helps me focus! Depending on the time, you’ll either walk into a calming instrumental or a full-on banger. It keeps the energy flowing!
As I’ve progressed in my career, I think I’ve let go of many of my pet peeves about HR, although one that seems to still trip me up now and again is unscheduled meetings that just pop into my calendar without any context.
HR often stands at a crossroads of critical business decisions, and you may find yourself in rooms where you’re the only one standing in the way of a business decision that could negatively impact the company culture.
When I get home, the first thing I do is tidy up, as I can’t relax in a messy space. My husband and I take turns cooking, and I’ve recently been experimenting with more South African and Catalan dishes. Evenings are about family time, catching up with my daughters, helping with homework and enjoying my youngest’s latest K-pop dance performance. And finally, I take Leo for a walk before going to bed.
I try to stick to a set schedule and avoid working late. If I do, I time my emails to send the next morning so they don’t disrupt anyone else’s downtime. I aim to exercise twice a week, and sometimes I use the Calm app for a mini-meditation, but I’ve fallen out of the habit. I think I’ll start that again; it helps transition out of work mode.
I wind down with a Yogi tea, a simple skincare routine, and a few pages of a book before lights out around 11-11:30pm. My last thought before sleep is gratitude. I never take this life for granted, it’s a long way from where I started.
