Professional background and experience:

Gerrie practices as an independent mediator for commercial, labour, workplace, and family matters, in addition to serving as an independent arbitrator and labour law consultant. His corporate career spanned 35 years, and Gerrie is a founding member of the Mediation Centre. He holds an M.Phil. degree in Labour Law from the University of Cape Town (2011). Further studies include Commercial Mediation (USB), Business Management (WITS), Advanced Negotiation (Maurice Kerrigan Institute) and Marketing Management (IMM).

As past chairman of the Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape (FAMAC) and past chairman of the National Accreditation Board for Family Mediators’ (NABFAM), Gerrie is one of the foremost proponents of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution process and is a leading advocate for mediation as an alternative dispute resolution process. Accredited with the Dispute Settlement Accreditation Council (DiSAC) and Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), he is a member of the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa) and offers in-person and online mediation for commercial mediation, workplace mediation, disciplinary hearings, facilitation, and general meetings. Gerrie is also an accredited Road Accident Fund (RAF) mediator and mediating Clinical Claims mediator.

Mediation experience and style:

Gerrie has been mediating professionally since 2012, specialising in both commercial, workplace and family mediation matters. He emphasises the importance of conducting mediation with integrity and impartiality to enhance public confidence in mediation as an alternative dispute resolution process and believes in continual improvement and maintains ongoing qualifications as part of his commitment to professional development.

As a mediator, Gerrie serves as a neutral third party, detached from the dispute or the substantive issues. This impartiality is crucial in conflict management and resolution, offering parties new perspectives and effective processes for building problem-solving relationships.

Examples of Gerrie’s successful mediation work span both the public and private sectors. He is particularly passionate about workplace mediation and labour mediation, assisting parties in reaching settlement agreements and preserving the employer-employee relationship without admitting liability.

Facilitation experience and style:

Acting as a facilitator, he engages in cases involving elements of mediation, expert opinion, and counselling. His style involves assisting parties unable to reach an agreement on issues requiring a joint decision process and aims for a swift resolution without resorting to litigation.

Chairing enquiries and investigations experience:

Gerrie acts as a qualified, independent chairperson for disciplinary hearings, grievance hearings, workplace investigations and workplace restructuring  ensuring impartiality and timeous outcomes. With over 20 years of practice, he handles grievance and disciplinary matters, preventing any suspicion of decision-shaping by extraneous factors.

Comments from mediation clients:

“Gerrie strives to preserve and maintain the integrity of relationships between disputants. This is achieved through encouraging the use of mediation as an alternative dispute mechanism rather than litigation and adversarial processes.”

“Gerrie’s intervention will promote positive resolution instead of destructive conflict.”

“Your expert mediation skills were instrumental in facilitating a constructive dialogue between the parties involved. Your ability to understand the nuances of the dispute and guide us towards a mutually beneficial resolution is truly commendable.”