Highly stereoselective 1,2-additions of AlMe3 or its air-stable analog DABCO(AlMe3)(2) to aldehydes are realized in the presence of a Ni(acac)(2)-derived catalyst using phosphoramidite ligands giving sec-alcohols in up to 95 % ee. Very high turnover number (TON) (>1500) and turnover frequency (TOF) (>350 h(-1)) values can be realized in these reactions. The substrate range, trials of various (DABCO)(a)(AlR3)(b) reagents (a = 0.1; b = 1.2; R = Me, Et, Bu-i), ligands, and molecular modeling studies are used to propose a working model for the catalytic cycle and the origin of the stereo selectivity. The phosphoramidite ligand is proposed to bind the nickel in an eta(2) manner via the P-donor and one of the C=C aryl bonds of the CHAr amine group. Preliminary studies indicate that DABCO(AlMe3)(2) can also be used as a methyl source in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of ArX (X = Br, I) species.