BRIAN GANSON CONSULTING
Consultant to senior public and private sector leaders on socio-political risk management, conflict prevention, and negotiation. Support analysis, strategy development and operational planning for particularly complex environments. Monitoring & Evaluation Expert for programs in post-conflict and volatile societies. 1998 to present.
STELLENBOSCH BUSINESS SCHOOL
Professor and Head of the Centre on Conflict and Collaboration. Leads a platform for research and dialogue at the nexus of business, conflict and development across disciplines and institutions, working with business, government, labour and communities to reduce the costs of conflict and increase collaborative opportunities. Lecturers in conflict systems analysis, interest-based problem solving, and conflict transformation. 2010 to present.
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL FOR DATA SCIENCE
Professor. Co-leads the Business & Conflict Research Initiative, an international consortium applying the tools of data science to the analysis of conflict and the study of peace positive pathways for private sector development. 2021 to present.
PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OSLO (PRIO)
Research Professor. Principal Investigator for a multi-year consonsortium project applying mixed methods to study the private sector, conflict, and development in Africa. 2021 to present.
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LAW
Visiting Professor. Lecturer in conflict resolution theory and mediation. 2020 to present.
CENTRE ON CONFLICT, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACEBUILDING
THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE, GENEVA
Research Associate and facilitator through the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform of research-supported multi-sectoral
dialogue on the roles of economic, development, peacebuilding, government and civil society actors in conflict
prevention in the context of large-scale business investment in fragile environments. 2012 to present.
THE FLETCHER SCHOOL OF LAW AND DIPLOMACY
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Senior Fellow, Council on Emerging Market Enterprises. Launched the initiative on Strategy, Operations and
Leadership for Emerging and Frontier Economies. Formerly Adjunct Assistant Professor teaching international negotiation
and law & development and Senior Researcher, Center for Human Rights & Conflict Resolution. 2000 to present.
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Adjunct Associate Professor teaching negotiation, mediation and conflict management. 2014 to 2019.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT GROUP ▪ CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
Director for private sector programmes with the NGO founded by Professor Roger Fisher, applying innovations of the Harvard Negotiation Project
to achieve practical progress in intense and protracted conflicts around the globe. 1998 to 2000.
MITCHELL MADISON GROUP ▪ NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Manager and co-founder of the Organisation Practice of a global strategy consulting firm. Advised Fortune 100
companies on organisational design and organisational performance. 1996 to 1998.
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Primary responsibilities included budget, strategic planning,
information technology and organizational performance. The Vice President three times awarded OCR the Heroes
of Reinvention ("Hammer") Award for innovation in civil rights enforcement. 1993 to 1996.
HARVARD NEGOTIATION PROJECT
PROGRAM ON NEGOTIATION AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
Instructor. Developed context-specific capabilities in negotiation, mediation, conflict analysis and conflict
management for diplomats, government officials, business executives, and civil society leaders from around the
globe. 1989 to 1996.
TEXAS RURAL LEGAL AID, INC. ▪ BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS
Attorney focusing on minority rights. Combined litigation and advocacy to achieve systemic higher education
reform. Led the creation of a community-based mediation program. Court Appointed Mediator in Federal District
Court cases. 1989 to 1993.
Education
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctorate awarded cum laude 1989. Ferguson Fellow in Human Rights and Development with the Legal
Resources Foundation of Zimbabwe. Associate Editor of the HARVARD INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL. Research
Assistant to Professor Detlev Vagts for private and public international law topics.
THE FLETCHER SCHOOL OF LAW AND DIPLOMACY ▪ TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy awarded 1989. Concentrations in Public International Law, International
Trade and International Conflict Management. Teaching Assistant for Tufts College course in International Law.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Bachelor of Arts awarded magna cum laude 1985. Included one year of study at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in
Aix-en-Provence, France. Family Mediator with Ozone House, a runaway shelter and crisis counselling centre.
Languages
Fluent in English and French; proficient in German and Spanish