Nicoletta Nicki Tessler

About Nicoletta Nicki Tessler

Dr. Nicoletta Tessler is a clinical psychologist and accomplished senior executive with a + 20-year career of repeated success in building and leading cutting-edge behavioral healthcare with a deep understanding of strategy, domain knowledge, and business operations. Nicki is a high-profile thought leader, combining rapid and strategic growth with managing operational and financial demands of a large book of behavioral health business. She is a proven difference-maker with an unwavering sense of purpose and passion to reinvent the field.

Experience

1. President, Lifepoint Behavioral Health

   Lifepoint Health®

   Jun 2025 — Present

   I am honored to lead the newly established Behavioral Health division at LifePoint Health, backed by Apollo. In this role, I’m responsible for building and scaling a net-new operating platform that will design what’s next in behavioral health care. Overseeing strategy, operations, and growth across a national footprint, I’m focused on expanding access, driving clinical excellence, and creating transformative partnerships to meet the growing mental health needs of communities across the country.

Education

• University of Denver

  Psy.D., Clinical Psychology

  2000 — 2004

• Pepperdine University

  M.A., Clinical Psychology

  1998 — 2000

• University of Miami

  M.B.A., Health Sector Management and Policy

  2011 — 2013

• Lynn University

  B.A., Psychology