DR MARTHA NEWSON is an internationally recognised expert on belonging and the rituals that bind us—core themes that underpin both her award-winning academic research and her high-impact consultancy practice. She has worked with clients including the Premier League, Guinness, and Hyundai, and has advised on identity and group behaviour in settings as diverse as British prisons, global charities, and major brands. Martha is known for her engaging, thought-provoking talks delivered to audiences around the world—from corporate boardrooms to grassroots communities. Her leadership coaching practice draws on deep, cross-sectoral experience to support leaders in transforming complex challenges and realising their full potential.

Martha’s research spans four continents and has taken her from Brazilian football hooligans to Indonesian fundamentalist groups and the UK’s underground rave scene. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led global studies on social contact and wellbeing, involving over 10,000 participants across 122 countries. Currently, Martha leads research with the UK’s Ministry of Justice and major football clubs to explore how strong group identities—like those formed around football—can be used to improve behaviour in prisons and reduce reoffending. Her work has been widely featured in the media, including on the BBC, Sky TV, Discovery Channel, BBC Radio 4, and the World Service. Martha holds a prestigious £1.5 million UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship and is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich. She is also a Research Affiliate at the University of Oxford, where she earned her master’s and doctorate in cognitive anthropology and now leads the Changing Lives Lab.