Bio:
Mark Appel is Senior Vice President of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR). ICDR is the international division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the world's largest provider of private dispute prevention, conflict management and dispute resolution services (almost 200,000 cases in year 2000) education and training to corporations, individuals and governments since 1926. A member of the Association's senior management team, Mr. Appel is charged with primary responsibility for European operations.

Prior to accepting his current position, Mr. Appel managed AAA mediation services and construction industry relations globally. Previous positions included coordinating the work of the Association's marketing, membership, publications, program development and public relations departments and managing the Association's Denver, Colorado (U.S.A.) regional office (1981-1994).

Mr. Appel has served as a faculty member for negotiation skills training for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Energy, the Colorado State Department of Social Services and the Hopi and Paiute Shoshone Tribes. An experienced mediator and past President of the Colorado Council of Mediators and Mediation Organizations, Mr. Appel has conducted mediator skills training for the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Denver District Court and the National Park Service, United States Department of Interior and both mediator and arbitrator training for the American Arbitration Association.

Mr. Appel has lectured and written extensively on the subjects of mediation, arbitration, and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). He is a frequent lecturer at educational forums convened by industry and professional associations internationally.

Mr. Appel is a member of the Mediation Commission, Union Internationale des Avocats, the Global Corporate Counsel Association, the American Bar Association (ABA) Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, the ABA Dispute Resolution section and the Dispute Review Board Foundation. Previous activities included Official Observer for the Uniform Mediation Act, membership on the Board of Directors of the American Judicature Society, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the Programs and Activities Steering Committee for the Utah State Bar Association's Law and Justice Center, the Colorado State Insurance Commission Rules Committee for PIP Arbitration, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum Committee of the Colorado Bar Association (Chair, 1994-1995) and the Advisory Board for the Industrial Relations Research Association, Rocky Mountain chapter.

Mr. Appel received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Manhattan College and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver College of Law.