Fiona Colquhoun

Fiona’s mediations frequently involve longstanding, highly contentious and litigious issues where commercial, content and interpersonal issues overlap. Some of her cases are in the public domain; for example, the Sheffield Trees dispute and the case of 70-year-old lady, who discovered she had been swapped at birth. 

Prior to developing her mediation practice, Fiona held senior leadership roles in multinational organisations. including as Board level Human Resources Director at ICL plc and Cable & Wireless plc.  She has also held executive and non-executive positions within the NHS, and Trustee positions in Charities. Fiona is also a qualified executive coach.
This background gives Fiona a strong understanding of business relationships, organisational and interpersonal dynamics, Board-level decision-making and the commercial realities that can influence settlement.

Fiona has extensive experience working with complex organisations in all sectors, including businesses, professional services firms, senior executives, and public bodies and authorities. She also undertakes a wide range of dispute resolution work including facilitation, independent investigations and reviews, neutral chairing and conflict coaching. 

Fiona brings a rich mixture of skills from her business background into her mediation work. She always does a great deal of preparation and engages with the parties in this, so that everyone arrives at the mediation as comfortable as possible.  

Fiona is very skilled at understanding the needs of the parties, adapting the process accordingly, providing both reassurance and empathy.  Wherever appropriate she works with parties sensitively to encourage them to deal with the most difficult emotive issues early in the process.   

Fiona is very effective in reality testing and tenacious in assisting parties to reach a settlement. She offers face to face and video mediations 

Clients consistently value Fiona's commerciality, sensitivity, patience and ability to deal with difficult personalities and highly emotional disputes. Feedback describes her as “very commercial and professional, but also creative and intuitive”, as well as calm, balanced and able to ‘deal with the unexpected.’