Professional background and experience:

John possesses a diverse educational background with degrees in engineering, business, and law. He is an admitted advocate, a registered professional engineer and an accredited arbitrator and mediator with Conflict Dynamics, the Family Mediators Association of the Cape (FMAC) and the Dispute Settlement Accreditation Council (DiSAC). With a career spanning human resources, industrial development, manufacturing, and conflict resolution across commercial and humanitarian sectors, John has collaborated with various corporates, NGOs, UN agencies, and South African not-for-profits. He brings extensive expertise to divorce and family mediation, further enriching his portfolio of skills and experiences.

Mediation experience and style:

John Hutchinson is adept at navigating multidisciplinary environments, drawing from his background in engineering, law, and business. Possessing an empathetic disposition and strong interpersonal skills, he is known for his ability to listen attentively and think quickly, making him well-suited for various types of disputes, including contractual disputes, employment issues, family matters, intellectual property conflicts, and more. With experience in mediating diverse cases such as labour/management disputes, landlord-tenant conflicts, medical negligence claims, and product liability issues, John's mediation style is informal yet encouraging, as he adeptly keeps parties focused on the main tasks at hand. Additionally, John administers a group of approximately 40 mediators who conduct pro bono mediations for family and domestic violence/harassment courts in Wynberg, Cape Town.

Coaching experience and style:

John has mentored in engineering, mediation, and law locally and internationally and has taught negotiation, breaking deadlock and family mediation at the postgraduate level for several years. Drawing on his studies in Jungian psychology, John possesses a deep understanding of the influences of the unconscious mind on attitudes and behaviour, particularly in stressful situations, and incorporates this insight into his mediation practice, enabling him to navigate complex dynamics with empathy and insight. 

Comments from clients:

“While he pays attention to what people are saying, he is not manipulated by emotional outbursts. I wish that we had done this earlier.”

“I cannot thank you enough…You have been truly outstanding in dealing with both of us during this time.”

“Thank you so much for helping us with everything, I really don't think we would have got where we have without you.”