Professor Leisa Sargent

Professor Leisa Sargent is committed to sustainability, enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion and developing better access and educational experiences for UNSW students. Her focus in the Business School is to further propel the School’s leadership position globally with academic programs and practices that support both discovery and industry innovation in research, high quality education as well as the translation of business knowledge for lasting positive impact. Leisa obtained her PhD from the Rotman School of Management, The University of Toronto, and has held positions at The University of Melbourne, Cornell University, and Queensland University of Technology. Leisa has also held visiting positions at Instituto de Empressa, McGill University, and University of Iowa.

A distinguished scholar in organisational behaviour, Leisa has published widely in top tier journals and secured competitive government and industry grants in Australia and overseas. She is an award-winning teacher and was named the Pearson Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management innovative educator of the year.

Leisa’s work has published in leading international journals, including Personnel Psychology, Organization Science, Harvard Business Review, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Journal of Management Education, Journal of Human Resources Management, Journal of Organisational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behaviour, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Work and Stress, Small Group Research and British Journal of Industrial Relations, as well as edited books. Leisa co-authored a paper for the World Economic Forum on the HR needs for an ageing population. Leisa’s current research spans an evidence-based approach to leadership development, new perspectives on retirement, workday design, restorative experiences and green infrastructure.

Leisa has consulted to large complex organisations both in Australia and North America, including companies such as Nortel, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Telstra, Incitec, Canada Life, Comcare, Arnott’s, and the Royal Children’s Hospital; Melbourne. She is a board member of UNSW Global and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.