Acas appoints Joanna Nunn as chief conciliator

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has announced that Joanna Nunn will become its new chief conciliator, leading the organisation’s team responsible for helping employers and trade unions resolve workplace disputes through its free and impartial collective conciliation service.

Nunn, who has worked at Acas since 2006, previously served as assistant chief conciliator and brings extensive experience in mediation and dispute resolution.

She will officially take up the role on Monday 3rd November, succeeding Marina Glasgow, who became Acas’s first female chief conciliator in 2023.

In 2024–25, Acas’s collective conciliation team facilitated confidential talks in over 522 workplace disputes, helping to resolve or make progress toward settlement in 93% of cases.

Pay remained the leading cause of disputes, though overall case volumes were slightly lower than the previous year.

Niall Mackenzie, Acas chief executive, said: “I am delighted to confirm Jo’s appointment as Chief Conciliator, following a very competitive open process.

“Jo has a huge amount of experience resolving conflicts and has brought her conciliation skills to bear on many high-profile disputes in recent years.”

He continued: “This year marks Acas’s 50th anniversary in its current form, but its roots go back to 1896. That means we have been helping resolve workplace disputes for nearly 130 years.

“Against the backdrop of major employment reform, Jo’s expertise and leadership will be crucial to helping resolve disputes at work and continuing our long tradition of excellent service to both employers and workers.”

Nunn said: “I am pleased to take up the role of Chief Conciliator and lead a team of experts that handles over 500 disputes each year.

“Acas’s collective conciliation service is hugely successful at helping people find common ground and work through their differences.

“As the government rolls out a major package of employment law reform, the knowledge and skill of Acas’s collective conciliators is going to be more vital than ever.”