Nigel Nicholson joined London Business School in 1990. Before becoming a business psychologist, he began his career in journalism and remains a frequent media commentator on contemporary business issues.

He is widely recognized for pioneering the integration of evolutionary psychology into business and management thinking. His contributions include numerous publications, notably an article in the Harvard Business Review(July/August 1998) and the book Managing the Human Animal (Thomson/Texere, 2000).

Nigel’s current research interests include the psychology of family firms, leadership, personality and biography, interpersonal skills in business, and insights from tribal societies. He is also an advisor and associate of the Nomadic School of Business, with whom he has co-facilitated executive field trips.

Across these and other areas—such as innovation, organizational change, and executive career development—he has published over 20 books and 200 articles. He led a major research project on risk and decision-making among finance professionals, culminating in the book Traders: Risks, Decisions and Management in Financial Markets (Oxford University Press, 2005). His book on family firms, Family Wars, was published in 2008 (Kogan Page). His most recent book, The “I” of Leadership: Strategies for Seeing, Being and Doing (Jossey-Bass, 2013), explores leadership through the lens of biography and self-identity.

At London Business School, Nigel has held numerous leadership positions and has served as a visiting professor at universities in Germany, the United States, Africa, and Australia. He has received honors in the U.S. from the Academy of Management and the International Association for Applied Psychology for his contributions to the field, and he is a licensed family firm advisor with the Family Firm Institute (FFI).

A highly sought-after speaker, he has directed several executive programmes at London Business School, including The Sustainable Family Business, High Performance People Skills, and the innovative leadership programme Proteus. From 2003 to 2010, he chaired the evaluation panel for the JPMorgan Private Banking UK and Ireland Family Business Honours Programme and served on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Family Business.

Nigel consults, coaches, and advises across a broad range of topics, including board facilitation, leadership development, culture change, corporate communication, team-building, and people skills for senior managers. His corporate clients include Dyson, Credit Suisse, Société Générale Investment Bank, RBS Investment Bank, Vodafone India, Kenya Airways, and the Qatar Foundation.

He is also an experienced counsellor and coach, having worked with numerous executives, business leaders, and politicians. In the family business sector, he has published extensively on next-generation succession, designed bespoke programmes for multi-generational family firms, mentored future leaders, and delivered open-enrolment programmes in the UK and India for family business owners and successors worldwide.

Nigel has a strong interest in Africa and its evolving business environment. More information about his work and access to his writings can be found at www.nigelnicholson.com