Nick Basannavar
Principal and Engagements Lead
Nick operates at the crossroads of strategy, leadership, and systems change, with a passion for creating inclusive social impact through structural and individual interventions.
Nick is a Principal and member of the Leadership Team at Principia. He works with leaders and their teams to build more ethical and compassionate cultures in the face of increasingly complex challenges. He has significant global experience, having worked with some of the world’s largest international firms, public sector organisations, universities and charities.
Nick has held senior leadership roles at Deloitte UK, Principia and Included. He has worked in many parts of the world, including several years living and working in Japan, and has run his own independent advisory business since 2023.
Known for his calm and open style, Nick brings a combination of challenge, insight, care and reflection to help leaders work on real-world concerns. He draws on his creative life as a training actor, poet and fiction writer to support his facilitation.
Nick is also a social historian and has authored or co-authored multiple books and articles on organisational culture, contemporary history and leadership. He previously served as an Honorary Fellow in History at the University of London and sits on several advisory boards focused on topics such as education, mental health and racial justice.