John O’Dowd

John O'Dowd is a past Joint Director of the National Centre for Partnership, based in the Department of the Taoiseach. Since 1999 he has been working as an independent consultant, trainer and facilitator. He specialises in organizational development and change in the unionized sector. John has been a keynote speaker on industrial relations and organizational change topics at conferences of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Institute of Public Administration, Industrial Relations News, ICM, AnUman and others.

John is past General Secretary, Civil and Public Service Union and Assistant General Secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers , Ireland. He was a member of the Executive Council of ICTU for ten years and took part in the negotiation of all the national programmes from the Programme for National Recovery to Partnership 2000. He was a Government appointee to the Strategic Management Initiative's National Co-ordinating Committee.

He is a graduate of University College Dublin - BA in English and French, Higher Diploma in Education, holds an MBA from the Open Business School and is an Associate Fellow of the Graduate School of Business, UCD, where he is researching a doctorate on partnership approaches to organisational change.

John’s professional development in recent years has focussed on, among other areas, Organization Development, Advanced Facilitation Skills, and Negotiation Skills including Interest Based Bargaining. John strives to keep up to date with the most current developments in the theory and practice of organizational change.

Web site address: www.johnodowd.com

Laurie Randall

Laurie Randall gained a bachelor degree in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford and a Peace and Conflict Studies M.A. at the University of Ulster. She gained a Certificate in Teaching Adult Learners in 2002.

Laurie has worked in Mediation Northern Ireland as a mediator since 2000 and is currently their (acting) Senior Development Officer. She has responsibility for training, including complex group facilitation. She is active in housing issues; the ‘Neighbourhoods and Communities’ sector and, more recently, with the Social Partnership Programme. Past involvements include work with police training; the Parades Commission; and integrated education.

Laurie has many years of experience mediating difficult conversations with the public, with groups and with organisations, including the first joint community discussions regarding the Girdwood Barracks site in North Belfast in 2007; the parades disputes in Belfast and private encounters on sensitive Community Relations issues.

Areas of Expertise:

• Curriculum Development - - experienced in the design and development of training curriculum and support materials and the production of training manuals for internal and external use. She also delivers training and provides supervision for this work to other staff and associates.
• Coordinator of Projects - Laurie coordinates a range of projects within Mediation Northern Ireland, including the Assessment Process in advance of MNI project work that necessitates the identification of local issues, challenges and priorities. She is presently engaged in the management team.
• Equality - Laurie also works in the area of equality; facilitating local authorities to explore the implications of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Mary Ann McDonagh

Mary Ann McDonagh (BBS, MBS HRM, FCIPD, MILM - Payback Solutions Ltd.) is co-director and founding member of Payback Solutions Ltd. Mary Ann has over 10 years experience in industry. Having held a number of Senior HR Management positions within large multinational organisations, her areas of expertise include health and safety, organizational development and design, training and development, recruitment and selection, industrial relations, HR policy development, compensation and benefits and employee relations.

Web site address: www.paybacksolutions.com

Mary Lou O'Kennedy

Mary Lou O’Kennedy comes to mediation with 20 years of experience in the management of people and companies both in the private and the not for profit local development sector. She combines her experience with her conflict resolution and mediation skills to provide a broad range of services to both businesses and individuals. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, and a Degree in Social Science from University College Dublin.

Mary Lou has trained in Family Mediation and in Civil and Commercial Mediation with Friary Law and Athena Mediation. She has also trained with the Canadian conflict coaching specialist, Cinnie Noble.  She is a Council member of the Mediators Institute of Ireland and is a member of the Friary Law and Mediation Northside mediator panels.

Contact Mary Lou Kennedy:

Phil O'Hehir

Phil founded her business, Amicus, an organization providing mediation and conflict coaching in 2007. Phil was responding to a perceived need for a quality alternative to the legal system for people faced with serious disputes. Since its foundation Phil’s business has grown to include commercial, workplace, property and family disputes.

Phil qualified as a nurse and subsequently as a solicitor. She brings to her work her many years of business and legal experience. Phil passionately believes that all conflicts can be settled once people agree to join forces and work together for a common aim.

Phil is an accredited mediator with Friary Law and Athena Mediation. She is a qualified life coach and has trained in the specialist area of conflict coaching with the well known Canadian trainer, Cinnie Noble. Phil is a member of the Law Society of Ireland and the Friary Law Mediation Panel.