KAREN ERWIN

Founder and Principal of Erwin Mediation Services

Karen Erwin is a professional mediator and facilitator specialising in conflict resolution with an emphasis on Workplace, Employment and Commercial mediation. Over 60% of Karen's cases come from repeat business from satisfied clients or by way of personal recommendation. She also has an expertise in facilitating partnership, board and group disputes as well as in more personal disputes such as inheritance and separation of assets. Her practice is both national and international.

Karen has a lot of experience of workplace disputes involving employees and management and more frequently these disputes now involve intercultural issues. The majority of issues that present at workplace mediation are related to alleged bullying and harassment and work performance.

Two areas in which Karen is specialising are conflict coaching ( assisting individual parties in relation to conflict) and succession planning for family businesses.

Conflict resolution is not just about conflict - it requires helping parties to work collaboratively together focussing on the future - EMS provides support services such as training, coaching and facilitation to help parties to move on, to change and to work together.

Karen' s extensive career as a commercial litigation and employment partner for 15 years in A&L Goodbody Solicitors first established her impressive dispute-resolution skills.

She was then first woman executive director of The Irish Times and over eight years enhanced her skill set with practical management and business experience.

In addition to extensive formal training and accreditations as a mediator, Karen's skills in achieving collaboration and consensus and her business acumen have been recognised in her public appointments as chairperson of the Equality Authority and chairperson of The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority. Further acknowledgement of her talents is evident by the number of organisations of which Karen is or has been president or chairperson including one of her current appointments as Chairperson of The Forum of Chairpersons of State Funded Bodies.

Karen's commitment to mediation led her to establish her own firm, Erwin Mediation Services, and to become a professional mediator and facilitator. She is the President of The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland and is also a council member of the Irish Commercial Mediation Association.

Her training, skills, background and commitment ensure Karen's status as a leading practitioner of mediation in Ireland.

Present Appointments

Mediation

Erwin Mediation Services — Mediator; Founder and Principal
The Mediators' Institute of Ireland — Elected President; Practitioner member
Irish Commercial Mediation Association — Elected Council Member
International Mediation Institute - member International Standards Commission
NUI Maynooth - Law Council member

Professional Qualifications and Accreditations

Trinity College, Dublin — M.A.
Law Society of Ireland — Professional Solicitor's qualification.
University College, Dublin — Diploma in Mediation Studies
Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution — Accreditation
ADR Group — Accreditation and panel member Mediator.

Public Sector

The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority — Government-appointed Chairperson.
The Chairpersons' Forum (for Chairpersons of State Bodies) — Elected Chairperson
Co - Chairperson of the North - South Chairpersons' of State Funded Bodies

Pro Bono

St Columba's College (Co-Educational Secondary Boarding school) — Chairperson of the Board of Management; Fellow (Trustee); member Pensions Committee.
University of Ulster - member of the governance subcommitee of the nominations committee.
International Women's Forum Ireland - membership committee and past President . Mentor
Dublinia Ltd - Director

Previous positions held

The Equality Authority of Ireland — Government-appointed Chairperson
International Womens Forum - International body - official mentor.
IWF - international board member
The IWF Leadership Foundation -international board member.
The International Womens' Forum - Irish Forum - President
Director - The Irish Heart Foundation