Mark Chapman CEDR-Accredited Mediator Spotlight

After an extensive legal career spanning over three decades, Mark Chapman has developed a unique perspective on leadership, legal practice, and conflict resolution.

He qualified at Freshfields in 1993 and went on to serve in senior legal roles at major financial institutions, including Nomura, Barclays, and Nationwide, where he concluded his career as Group General Counsel.

Mark’s career has taken him from the Office of Legal Affairs at the United Nations to the boardrooms of multinational banks, giving him deep insight into navigating complex interpersonal and organisational dynamics.

His experience with high-stakes leadership and internal stakeholder management ultimately led him to explore mediation. After completing his CEDR training, Mark discovered not only the power of structured conflict resolution but also the broader leadership applications of mediation techniques in fostering trust, rapport, and collaboration.

Find out more about becoming a CEDR-Accredited Mediator: https://share.hsforms.com/2uZTtIb7ARH...

💼 Learn more about Mark Chapman’s journey from global general counsel to accredited mediator, and how his legal and leadership expertise translates into effective conflict resolution:

⏱️ Video Overview:
00:00 – Introduction to Mark Chapman
00:17 – Legal career background (Freshfields, UN, Nomura, Barclays, Nationwide)
01:05 – Importance of interpersonal skills in legal leadership
01:35 – How CEDR’s mediation course transformed his communication approach
01:54 – I wish I'd done the training earlier
02:13 – Reflections on the role of a general counsel
03:09 – Managing internal politics and remaining agenda-free
03:36 – The value of networking and stakeholder trust
03:52 – Encouraging diverse thinking and questioning styles
04:28 – Adjusting communication style based on audience (Myers-Briggs insights)
05:13 – Being pragmatic as a mediator
06:26 – Understanding boardroom dynamics
07:18 – Building trust as a general counsel
08:04 – Evolution of the GC role post-financial crisis
09:05 – Misconceptions about the general counsel role
09:40 – Role-playing insights during CEDR training
10:41 – Learning by doing in mediation
11:18 – Why mediation skills are essential for leaders, not just lawyers
12:12 – Using mediation skills in real-world scenarios
13:15 – Expanding into commercial mediation and future aspirations

#mediation #conflictresolution #leadership

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