Gerard Mc Hugh is the founder and President of Conflict Dynamics International (Conflict Dynamics). Gerard is a humanitarian entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in international conflict resolution, humanitarian affairs, and healthcare. With a passionate belief in people’s ability to bring about change in the world around them, Gerard focuses on using bold and innovative approaches drawn from different disciplines to make a difference in the lives of people affected by war and crisis. ​

Motivated by his experiences working in Iraq in the late 1980s, and seeing the direct effect of conflict on people and societies, Gerard founded Conflict Dynamics in 2004 to function as an independent and innovative organization to prevent conflict and to alleviate humanitarian suffering resulting from conflict and crises. ​​

Gerard has led the work of Conflict Dynamics in conducting direct mediation activities and in supporting several peace processes, mediation, and negotiation initiatives, including those on the Sudan and Somalia. He leads the organization’s development and application of approaches to political accommodation in situations of transition. ​​

Gerard has authored/co-authored numerous articles, reports, and resources for peace- and humanitarian practitioners on a range of topics, including humanitarian negotiations, peacebuilding, mediation, and humanitarian access. Gerard is also the lead author of several publications in Conflict Dynamics’ Governance and Peacebuilding series. ​​

Prior to establishing Conflict Dynamics Gerard worked as an Independent Consultant on humanitarian affairs and conflict resolution, and previously held an appointment as a Research Fellow at the Center for International Studies of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ​​

Gerard is a graduate and Foundation Scholar of Trinity College Dublin and a graduate of MIT. He holds degrees in political science, mechanical engineering, naval architecture, and mathematics from these institutions and also holds a professional qualification in nursing.