First impressions are decided in seconds. We make sure yours work for you.

Ria Wright — Founder, Professional Persona Consulting

Ria Wright is the founder of Professional Persona Consulting and brings more than 40 years of experience in education, corporate training and people development to her work with clients.

She holds a Bachelor of Education from North-West University, South Africa, and built her career across universities, colleges and corporate training environments — always working with professionals who chose to invest in their own growth. That work sharpened a deep expertise in human behaviour: how people think, decide and present themselves, and what separates those who advance from those who stall.

Ria founded Professional Persona Consulting on a simple premise: how you are seen and how capable you actually are should match. Drawing on decades of coaching and mentoring experience, she works with professionals, leaders and entrepreneurs to build the communication skills, presence and confidence that make a first impression work in their favour. Her approach treats communication as a skill, not a fixed talent — one that can be learned, practiced and mastered through structured, practical coaching rather than generic advice.

A track record in public speaking and coaching

Ria qualified first as a mentor and then as an ACE coach through Andy Harrington's Speakers University in the UK. Between 2013 and 2015 she delivered hybrid coaching for the University in London and Gatwick, ran online coaching in the ACE format for international clients, and hosted the institute's visits and coaching sessions in Johannesburg.

Over her career she has walked alongside a wide range of clients: entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprise leaders, real estate and brokerage sales teams, and staff at tertiary training institutions. She has presented at live enrichment seminars and trained presenters from every walk of life — from ministers and pastors across denominations to young, up-and-coming motivational speakers.

Why work with Ria

Ria is passionate about unlocking potential and equipping each client with a skillset that adapts into a personal persona and style that is uniquely their own. She helps people overcome the fear and shyness rooted in past experiences and develops them to flourish — celebrating every step and pushing through the hard obstacles alongside them.

In her words: "Together we celebrate every step and push through challenging obstacles — because nothing is impossible, and the best is yet to come."