Margaret Bouchier, Director of Advanced Working Solutions Limited, is a leading employment mediator, facilitator, trainer and investigator.

Her interest in team dynamics and collaborative workplace development originated from her work as operations and production manager with creative teams in the graphic design field throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. Her chance attendance on a Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (The MII) accredited mediation programme in 2002 struck a chord and, in 2004, following more focused training in organisational and workplace mediation, she founded Working Solutions, a private consultancy practice specialising in mediation and associated interventions.

Since 2004, Working Solutions has become a trusted provider of effective interventions to complex and sensitive employment situations, with client organisations including private sector organisations (financial services/information technology/service industries/arts/agriculture/construction etc.), semi-state bodies, healthcare providers, academic institutions and voluntary organisations.

In addition to her case work, Margaret has broad experience in developing policies for public, semi-state and professional member organisations including Dignity at Work; Standards in Practice; Codes of Ethics; Confidentiality; and Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults. Margaret has also devised and delivered training programmes through Working Solutions and Erwin Bouchier Professional Solutions including:  Dignity at Work Training; Conflict Skills for Managers; Managing Difficult Conversations; Team building; and Accredited Mediator Training.

Since 2006, Margaret has been actively involved in the development of mediation in Ireland and internationally through her roles in The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (The MII),  The Elder Mediation International Network (EMIN) and the Kennedy Institute Workplace Mediation Research Group (KIWMRG). Margaret is the proud recipient of the EMIN 2016 International Leadership Award for her contribution to the development of standards in Elder Mediation.

Mediation qualifications

• M.MII; CertEM Advanced; IMI; MSSc 

Relevant positions and affiliations

• Advanced Working Solutions Limited: Founder and Director: March 2016 to present
• Working Solutions: Founder and Principal: 2004 to March 2016
• Erwin Bouchier Professional Solutions:  Co-Founder and Partner: 2014 to 2021
• Chambers Ireland/Courts Service Business and Commercial Mediation Scheme: MII Nominated Mediator: 2015 to present
• Elder Mediation International Network: Director and Chair of Ethics Committee: 2012 to 2021
• Kennedy Institute Workplace Mediation Research Group: Co-Founder and Member: 2014 to present
• The Civil Liabilities and Courts Act, 2004: MII Nominated Mediator: April 2005
• The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland: various roles incl. Executive Committee Member, Council Member, Communications Director and Registrar: 2005 to 2012

Relevant accreditations and certifications

• HarvardX: Contract Law – From Trust to Promise to Contract: 2020
• Queens University Belfast: MSSc WBL Mediation Studies (Distinction): 2013
• Elder Mediation International Network: Certified Advanced Elder Mediator: 2012
• International Mediation Institute: Certified Mediator: June 2009
• The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland: Advanced Mediator: December 2006
• NUI Galway:  Essential Trainer Skills – Equality and Diversity in the Workplace: fDIP, March 2005
• The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland: Certified Mediator: 2004
• Conflict Resolution & Mediation Consultants: Professional Training in Organisational and Workplace Mediation: August 2004
• Athena Mediation: Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills Training: June 2003

Memberships of professional bodies

• The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland: Advanced Member
• Elder Mediation International Network: Advanced Certified Elder Mediator
• International Mediation Institute: Certified Member
• Irish Commercial Mediation Association: Member

Relevant presentations delivered

Margaret is a regular contributor at conferences including:

• The Elder Mediation International Network 2021 World Summit (virtual): Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in the Elder Mediation Process
• International Network of Financial Ombudsman 2018 Conference: Dublin, Ireland: Balancing Confidentiality and Transparency in an Ombudsman Mediation Service: Co-Presenter with Dr. Deirdre Curran
• The Mediators Institute of Ireland 2018 Annual Conference: Grow Your Own Research (Interactive workshop): Co-Presenter with Dr. Deirdre Curran and Dr. Treasa Kenny
• The Elder Mediation International Network 2018 World Summit, Bristol, UK: The Fundamental Role of Ethics in Elder Mediation
• The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland, 2016 Annual Conference, Dundalk, Ireland: Workplace Mediation – Building a shared awareness and understanding of underlying needs and interests (Interactive workshop)
• World Mediation Summit, 2016, Madrid, Spain: Bridging the Gap Between Workplace Mediation Research and Practice: Co-Presenter with Dr. Deirdre Curran and Dr. Treasa Kenny
• The Elder Mediation International Network, 2016 World Summit, Linz, Austria:  The Ethics of Intervention in Elder Mediation
• The International Academy of Law and Mental Health, 2015 Congress, Vienna, Austria: Developing Ethical Standards in Elder Mediation
• Union Syndicale Federale, 2015 Congress, Dubrovnik, Croatia: Conducting a Fair and Valid Investigation in the Irish Workplace
• The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland, 2015 Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland: Using Research to Shape the Future of Workplace Mediation in Ireland: Co-Presenter with Dr. Deirdre Curran and Dr. Treasa Kenny
• The Kennedy Institute, 2015 Research Seminar, Maynooth, Ireland: Bridging the Research-Practice Divide: Co-Presenter with Dr. Deirdre Curran and Dr. Treasa Kenny
• The Elder Mediation International Network, 2014 World Summit, Halifax, Canada: The Role of Standards and Ethics in Elder Mediation

Relevant mediation continuing professional development as required under the 2017 Mediation Act