Nelisha Wickremasinghe
Associate Fellow
Saïd Business School
University of Oxford
Park End Street
Oxford
OX1 1HP
Profile
Dr. Nelisha Wickremasinghe is a chartered psychologist, author, educator, and internationally recognised consultant in leadership and organisational change.
With over 30 years of experience in human development, she brings a rare synthesis of psychotherapeutic insight and management expertise to her work with individuals, teams, and global organisations.
Nelisha holds multiple advanced degrees, including postgraduate qualifications in psychology and family therapy, a Master’s in Public Sector Management, a Master’s in Psychoanalytic Clinical Practice, and a Doctorate in Organisational Change.
Working at the intersection of psychotherapy and leadership development, Nelisha has supported complex change initiatives and leadership growth in organisations such as Merck, Pearson, Nuvia, Serco, Nielsen, Lloyds Banking Group, Aviva, National Grid, and the National Trust. Her approach integrates neuroscience, developmental psychology, and systems thinking to foster resilient, relationally intelligent leadership in volatile and uncertain environments.
In addition to her role at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Nelisha is an associate at Ashridge Hult Business School and the founding director of The Dialogue Space, a consultancy offering deep development processes for individuals, families, and organisations. Her previous experience includes leading an award winning organic food business and holding clinical and management roles in the mental health and social care sectors.
Nelisha is the author of two acclaimed books:
- Beyond Threat — which explores the unconscious drives shaping our workplace behaviour
- Being with Others — which examines how our threat responses compromise trust, openness, and relational integrity in both personal and professional life.
Her thought leadership has been featured in Management Today, Forbes, Fast Company, and she is a contributor to Psychology Today.
Research
Nelisha earned her doctorate in Organisational Change from Ashridge Hult International Business School, where her research examined whether cultivating greater self-compassion could enhance personal resilience, interpersonal collaboration, and sustainable performance in organisational settings.
Drawing on insights from neurobiology, developmental psychology, and depth psychology, she designed and implemented a pilot Compassionate Leadership Development programme. The initiative aimed to explore how shifts in self-relational patterns might influence leadership behaviour and organisational dynamics.
Read the abstract of her thesis.
Teaching
Nelisha’s teaching expertise and interests span the following areas:
- Cultivating personal resilience and managing stress in complex environments
- Enhancing team collaboration and building relational resilience
- Navigating and transforming conflict within organisational and interpersonal contexts
- Applying creative and experiential methodologies to support deep personal inquiry and growth
- Performance and impact coaching to develop authentic and effective leadership