London - 13 January 2017 - The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) is pleased to announce that Dr Karl Mackie CBE, currently Chief Executive, has become its Founder President. This new role reflects the unique contribution that Karl has made to CEDR over many years. It will allow him to concentrate both on CEDR’s Foundation activities to innovate in dispute resolution and on his prestigious mediation practice.

Additionally CEDR’s highly regarded and senior mediator, Eileen Carroll QC (hon), currently Deputy Chief Executive, will take on a new role within the organisation as Principal Mediator and Co-founder of CEDR. Her new role enables Eileen to devote all of her time to an exceptional and extensive mediation practice.

CEDR will be seeking a new Chief Executive to succeed Dr Mackie. The new Chief Executive will have overall responsibility for the organisation, reporting to the Chairman and Board of Trustees. Day-to-day running of the organisation in the transitional period will continue to be handled by the Executive Team which looks after Commercial and Consumer Dispute Resolution Services, Negotiation and Mediation Skills Training and Consultancy, as well CEDR’s Foundation activity projects.

CEDR was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1990, with the support of The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and a number of British businesses and law firms, to pioneer the development and use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and mediation in commercial disputes. Dr Mackie, a barrister and psychologist, was the organisation's first Chief Executive and he has helped lead the organisation to become one of the world’s largest and most respected ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Centres. His new role will allow CEDR to keep this expertise and use his experience in the best possible way into the future.

Dr Elizabeth Vallance, CEDR’s Chairman, said, “We are delighted that Karl will be remaining with us in this new capacity to support CEDR and contribute to our future success. He has been synonymous with CEDR since its inception, making an unparalleled contribution not only to the organisation but to the professional development of mediation and alternative dispute resolution, both in the UK and internationally. His experience and knowledge of the area will give a real boost to CEDR’s strategic ambitions and we look forward to working with him in this important new role.”

Dr Mackie said, “It is rare that you get to change jobs whilst still doing what you love and working with colleagues that you respect and admire. So I am thrilled that this move to become CEDR’s Founder President will allow me to expand my dispute resolution practice and also to focus more on thought-leading and ground-breaking initiatives. This move would not be possible without the first-class Executive Management Team that we have built at CEDR, whom I know, under a new chief executive, will continue to lead the organisation from strength to strength. I can foresee a busy and exciting future!”

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Notes to editors

Karl Mackie has been recognised by Legal Directories as “one of mediation’s biggest names” and he has an unparalleled depth and breadth of experience in commercial mediation. For over 25 years he has worked across domestic and international cases and in a huge range of business, public sector and private client matters. He has mediated some of the most complex commercial cases, ranging from the Maxwell Pension and BCCI cases, to the horsemeat scandal. Karl is also an independent arbitrator and adjudicator with ACAS and Government departments, and is appointed from time to time on ad hoc independent investigations and inquiries. In June 2010 it was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours that Dr Mackie was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by the UK Government for “services to mediation”, the first citing of this reason for the award.

Eileen Carroll is one of the most senior mediators in practice today with over 20 years’ experience as a full time practitioner. Eileen is a co-founder of CEDR and recognised as one of the pioneers of mediation techniques in the U.K. Clients on all sides have praised Eileen’s mediation work as “masterful”, “extraordinary”, “phenomenal”, “above and beyond” and “different and more valuable than other mediators”. The 2013 award of Queen’s Counsel Honoris Causa status by the Ministry of Justice was for her “outstanding career as a commercial mediator and her unique contribution in establishing mediation in civil justice systems over the last two decades”.

About CEDR:
CEDR is Europe’s largest independent Alternative Dispute Resolution service for both commercial and consumer disputes handling thousands of referrals a year. CEDR operates the Court of Appeal’s Mediation Service and is certified by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute under the European Union Directive on Consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution. CEDR is a leading negotiation and conflict management trainer internationally in the field and its acclaimed Mediator Skills Training Accreditation has been awarded to over 7000 mediators in 70 countries. As a non-profit organisation with a public mission to innovate and develop conflict management and dispute resolution CEDR undertakes unique foundation activities such as the national negotiation competition, guidance for public inquiries and rules for settlement in arbitration.
www.cedr.com

Press Contact: Andy Rogers, Email arogers@cedr.com, Telephone +44(0)20 7536 6000