Nelisha Wickremasinghe

Nelisha has postgraduate degrees in psychology and family therapy, a master’s in public sector management and a doctorate in organisational change. She is currently undertaking a second doctorate programme in psychoanalytic clinical practice and research.

Her work at the boundary of psychotherapeutic practice and management development has taken her across the globe to support organisations such as Fujitsu, Thomas Cook, Merck, Pearsons, Amec Foster Wheeler, Nielsen, Lloyds Banking Group, Aviva and BT to develop their leaders and implement complex change.

Nelisha also developed and ran a successful organic food business and restaurant and, for ten years, she was a clinical and management lead in the mental health and social care sector.

Nelisha works internationally with large corporates, teaching and consulting on healthy growth. In addition to her role at Saïd Business School, she is also an associate at the Ashridge Hult Business School and founding director/lead practitioner at The Dialogue Space, which provides therapeutic depth development for individuals, families and employees within organisations.

Her professional practice combines brain science and developmental psychology to develop individual, team and system resilience and collaboration in increasingly volatile times.

Nelisha is the author of Beyond Threat, which looks at the hidden drives and motivations that determine our behaviour at work and what we can do about this and Being with Others, which explores how our threat response interferes with our ability to form and sustain trust, openness and respect in our relationships at home and at work. Her articles and ideas have been featured in diverse publications including Management Today, Forbes and Fast Company. Nelisha is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today.