Dr. John Fletcher is the Executive Director of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) Dispute Resolution Service (DRS), where he leads the development and delivery of a wide range of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services, including arbitration, adjudication, dispute boards, mediation, expert witnesses, and conflict avoidance. Under his leadership, DRS has expanded its offerings both in the UK and internationally, providing training, accreditation, panel membership, administration, and dispute resolution consultancy services tailored to the needs of global industries.

Born in South Africa, John earned his BCom LLB degree from Rhodes University before going on to complete his MPhil and PhD in Administrative Law at Cambridge University. After returning to South Africa, he practiced as a barrister at the Johannesburg Bar for ten years, focusing on civil and commercial law with a particular emphasis on constitutional matters.

John's contributions to dispute resolution extend beyond his role at RICS. He was previously the Projects Director for the ADR Group, where he spearheaded international joint ventures in regions including South Africa, Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean, and other emerging markets. He also developed the ADR Group's UK workplace mediation service and led mediation training initiatives within UK universities.

At RICS, John has been instrumental in the creation of the Conflict Avoidance Coalition, an initiative that is gaining rapid momentum in the infrastructure and construction industries. This coalition is dedicated to fostering collaborative solutions to disputes before they arise, providing proactive measures to reduce the risk of conflict in large-scale projects.

Throughout his career, John has been a passionate advocate for the value of conflict avoidance and the transformative potential of effective dispute resolution and continues to make significant contributions to the field on both a national and international scale.