Matthew Rich-Tolsma

Consultant, Teacher, and Mediator in Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands

About Me

I am a South African and Dutch organisational consultant, scholar-practitioner, and mediator. My work has spanned a number of countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe, and I have worked in a wide variety of sectors in the public, private, and humanitarian sectors.

Presently, I run a private practice as an organisational consultant, executive coach, and mediator (as well as conducting some groupwork in clinical settings). I also serve part-time as a lecturer and examiner in the Department of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at Tilburg University.

In addition, I am a trustee and director of the Institute of Group Analysis, an international psychotherapy training institute in the UK, where I chair the Steering Committee on Decolonising the Curriculum. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Nonviolent Communication.

Interests & Expertise

  • Entrepreneurship, innovation, and design thinking;
  • Themes of conflict, anxiety, and difference in organisations and groups;
  • Complexity (particularly social complexity) and paradox in organisations;
  • Nonviolent Communication, empathy, and compassion;
  • Critical pedagogy and critical theatre;
  • Group Analysis, psychoanalysis, and process sociology;
  • Infant-parent psychoanalysis, trauma, and attachment;
  • Intersectionality, decoloniality, ‘whiteness’, and African philosophy;
  • International relations, international politics (particularly in the EU and Afica), global security, and peacebuilding (particularly in African contexts);
  • Social and economic inequalities (particularly concerning intersections of race and gender);
  • Constructive developmental psychology;
  • Embodiment, creativity, rationality, and emotion.
  • Education
    • Institute of Group Analysis
    • Center for Nonviolent Communication
    • Hertfordshire Business School
    • Indian Institute of Technology
    • School of Infant Mental Health
What clients say about me
I really enjoyed the way that you facilitated this training. I have learned a lot. You are a great facilitator. I am so impressed with the way you supported the team to talk about a very serious and important issue that affects us. In the past it has been too difficult for this team to think about some of the challenges which we face, however you managed to find a way that everyone was able to talk and share what they think. I am so grateful for your calmness and experience.
Humanitarian leader, South Sudan
Put simply, I owe much of my career success to Matthew. I have been lucky enough to benefit from his coaching and guidance in a number of different roles. In my current role he was the first person I contacted when recognising the need to build a senior leadership team around trust and collaboration. Matthew is wildly intelligent which makes him great company in all walks of life. Highly recommended for anybody who wishes themselves or their colleagues to be better leaders, or better humans.
E-commerce leader & Entrepreneur, UK
I really enjoyed working with Matt; he has a quiet authority that comes from deep knowledge. It is easy to underestimate the skill that goes into enabling real co-production. We had a few instances where our co-production processes were challenged by participants and this is where Matt's skill and insight really became valuable. Without it, we would not have had the outcomes we were hoping for. Oh, and he's a really nice guy too!
University Dean, South Africa
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