Professional background and experience:

Naëtt is a commercial mediator accredited by Conflict Dynamics and the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR, UK), with a background in advanced mediation from Fordham Law School (NY, USA) and UCT Business School (Cape Town). Before venturing into conflict resolution, Naëtt accumulated 30 years of experience across the corporate sector (as MD of Heinemann Publishers), the NGO sector (as COO of SECTION27), and the education sector. Her rich and diverse background has equipped her with invaluable insights and experiences, enabling her to effectively relate to a wide range of people, cultures, and contexts during conflict resolution interventions. Naëtt leverages her extensive executive-level experience, financial acumen, and creative thinking to guide parties through mediations, facilitating their journey towards arriving at mutually satisfactory solutions.

Mediation experience and style:

Naëtt has an exceptionally high success rate of resolving workplace, family and commercial matters. She is warm, inclusive, analytical, directive and transformational and prioritises her ability to remain non-judgmental, neutral and fair at all times. Her calm demeanour, experience, and ability to hold the space, makes her an ideal mediator for issues of a more sensitive nature. 

Facilitation experience and style:

Naëtt has facilitated processes with teams as small as four people, as well as with groups of up to 30 people. The aim of any facilitation is to create awareness of self and others through a variety of bespoke activities and modalities to build connection, understanding and commitment. The outcomes invariably are improved relationships, changed behaviours, increased communication and productivity. She has conducted relationship-building and team dynamics processes with groups as diverse as students from townships in South Africa to global start-up founders and international management teams.

Coaching experience and style:

Naëtt possesses experience in two distinct types of coaching. Firstly, she works with individuals and teams seeking to alter their approach to conflict in both personal and professional realms, fostering an understanding of productive disagreement as a meta skill. Secondly, she assists individuals and teams embarking on negotiation and mediation processes, offering coaching throughout the preparation phase, and guiding them through the unfolding process. Her comprehensive training, coupled with her negotiation and mediation expertise, enables her to provide practical guidance and support effectively.

Comments from clients:

"Such a thought-provoking session with Naëtt Atkinson. Masterful in her approach to working with strong teams with strong views."

"Your outside view and input, neutrality and objectivity were much appreciated. You created a safe environment to discuss difficult issues. I would recommend your excellent service to anyone."

“When you hear that you are attending a team strategy meeting with a conflict coach, every fibre within your being dreads it, right? Well, I cannot imagine having these sessions without Naëtt, guiding the team through the obstacles not only on a team level but on a personal level as well. I highly recommend Naëtt and have seen the results of her sessions in team members and myself."