Dr. Nirosha Wellalage is an Associate Professor in the School of Accounting and Finance at Adelaide University. She specialises in corporate finance, insurance economics, pension systems, and FinTech, and serves as the Graduate Research Coordinator within the School. She holds a PhD in Corporate Governance from the University of Waikato (New Zealand), an MBA from Keele University (United Kingdom), and a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Management Information Systems from the National University of Ireland, Dublin.
 
Dr. Wellalage brings extensive experience applying a Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) lens to financial systems research. Her empirical work examines how structural factors—including gender inequality, institutional quality, political connections, and firm ownership structures—shape financial access, financial inclusion, and firm performance across emerging economies. Her research on women-owned enterprises and financial inclusion in Southeast Asia has generated policy-relevant evidence to support inclusive financial sector development. This work is complemented by longstanding collaborations with researchers and institutions across emerging economies and her experience examining doctoral research in financial governance across South Asia and Southeast Asia. She has a strong track record of translating research into policy and practice. Dr. Wellalage has served as a consultant to the World Bank's Business Enabling Environment project and the Inter-American Development Bank's Housing and Urban Development Division, contributing to research on women's access to mortgage markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. 
 
Dr. Wellalage has extensive experience in designing and delivering executive education for industry, government, and professional audiences. Her portfolio includes industry-focused micro-credential programs developed in partnership with the Governance Institute of Australia, as well as the co-design and co-delivery of the DFAT-funded short course, Mobilising Long-Term Capital through Insurance and Pension Reform in Indonesia. Her excellence in teaching has been recognised through the Teaching Collaboration and Peer Support Award at UniSA Business. An experienced international educator, she has delivered university teaching, executive education, and professional training across Australia, New Zealand, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia.
 
Her commitment to adult learning and community capacity building extends beyond higher education. In New Zealand, she delivered financial literacy workshops for older Māori participants through the Rauawaawa Charitable Trust (2012–2013) and for newly arrived refugees through the Refugee Orientation Trust, where she also served as a Board Member (2017–2018). She also facilitated a Writing for Grants workshop at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) in 2022. In Australia, she was invited to co-present Empowering CALD Communities through Financial Literacy at the Australian Refugee Association Annual Meeting (2024), delivering practical insights to government and non-profit sector representatives on improving financial capability and inclusion among culturally and linguistically diverse communities.