Vanessa Iwowo

Dr. Vanessa Iwowo is a Senior Lecturer in Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck Business School, part of Birkbeck, University of London. Her research focuses on critical leadership studies, particularly in African contexts and global management education. She holds a PhD in Leadership Studies from the University of Exeter Business School and previously taught at LSE and Exeter.

Her work critically examines power dynamics, knowledge dissemination, and contextual dissonance in leadership development. Key interests include post-colonial theory, gender dynamics in leadership, and the intersection of neoliberalism with intellectual activism. Awards include the Academy of Management Best Prize in Critical Management Studies and the Emerald Literati Award for Excellence (2016).

Vanessa supervises two doctoral researchers: Isabel Beydag (exploring intellectual activism in academia) and Margaret Ochieng (thesis ongoing as of 2020). She teaches modules on Leadership and Selection & Assessment. Recent publications address gender inequality in Nigeria, post-colonial feminism, and leadership development in Africa.