NOMMO Sets Inaugural Meeting

The Network of Ombudsman and Mediators of Multilateral Organizations will hold its first meeting on February 9, 2026. Youssoupha Niang (Ombudsperson and Mediator at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency) will convene the meeting at 15:00 CEST | 9:00 EDT. The session, "Bridging the Gap: 2025 Lessons as 2026 Blueprints," is intended to be the first step in establishing the new group. Panelists are expected to include Shireen Dodson (UN Ombudsman), Nadine Chapman (Manager of the World Bank Group Mediation Services), and Nicholas Diehl (Head of Ombuds for the Inter-American Development Bank). (LinkedIn.) 

University of Waterloo Ombuds Releases Inaugural Annual Report

Whitney Barrett, the inaugural Ombuds at uWaterloo, has issued her first annual report, covering the office’s initial eight months of operation. The Office, which includes Associate Ombuds Sam Vandekerckhove, received 55 cases from January through August 2025 and reported an average of 8.28 connections per case, reflecting sustained engagement with visitors. The vast majority of visitors were students, consistent with the Office’s primary focus on supporting the student experience. The report also features four “stories from the threshold” illustrating the types of concerns brought forward. (Waterloo Ombuds 2025 Report.)

Podcast: Sana Manjeshwar on Global Ombuds Leadership

Sana Manjeshwar is the latest guest on a podcast by composer and pianist Leonardo Le San, "Modus Operandi." Manjeshwar talked about building and leading Ombuds programs for global organizations across six continents, drawing on her background in organizational psychology, employment litigation, human resources, coaching, mediation, and Ombuds practice. Manjeshwar is also a singer and the episode features one her first songs.

AORC and AOMA to Host Global Webinar on ADR Practices

The African Ombudsman Research Centre, in partnership with the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association, will host an international webinar, “Integrating Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for Effective Case Resolution in Ombudsman Institutions,” on March 3, 2026. These are strategies that Ombuds of all types use routinely in their work. 

Ombuds Author Examines Generational Conflict at Work

Merry Brown, the inaugural Ombuds at the University of Tennessee at Martin, has published a new book, Winning the Generation Wars at Work: Making (Your) Age an Asset, exploring how colleagues of different ages can collaborate more effectively. Drawing on her experience as a workplace mediator, Ombuds, and host of the podcast "Conflict Managed," Brown examines why generational tensions arise and argues that they are often rooted less in age than in assumptions, communication gaps, and unspoken expectations. 

Job Posting: Emory University

The private research university in Atlanta is hiring its next University Ombudsperson. The posting states that the position reports to the University Ombudsperson and Senior Advisor to the President, a position held by Lynell Cadray since October 2019. Brian Green is the Associate Ombuds. The Emory Ombuds Office serves faculty, staff, and students, and practices to IOA standards. 

Ombuds Launches New Podcast: Ombuddy

A new podcast, "Ombuddy," hosted by Brooke Wichmann, spotlights the people and pathways behind Organizational Ombuds work. The show features conversations with Ombuds about what drew them to the role, formative moments in their practice, and the ideas that sustain them. Blending professional reflection with a relaxed format, Ombuddy aims to bring greater visibility to the work often done quietly and behind the scenes. 

UC Berkeley Staff Ombuds Office Posts FY25 Report

The Staff Ombuds Office at the University of California, Berkeley has released its 2025 Annual Summary of Activity, reporting 234 cases and 13 facilitated discussions. More than a quarter of the cases were assessed as "a high organizational impact, involving senior leadership or serious policy concerns." Managed under contract with MWI, the office saw the addition of three new Ombuds last year: Tera Bisbee, Ralph Johnson, and Jen Sims; and the departure of Assistant Ombuds Shatika Ricketts.

Article Highlights Role of Ombuds in Building Capacity for Constructive Conflict

An article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review argues that organizations must move beyond compliance-driven grievance systems to build real capacity for constructive conflict. In “Building Organizational Capacity for Constructive Conflict,” Jenny Yang and Rachel Godsil contend that while formal processes are necessary, they are often reactive and adversarial, discouraging early voice and eroding trust. Disagreement, they suggest, can be a source of learning and performance if organizations create safe, credible avenues for raising concerns. 

Meet the Student Ombuds at Karolinska Institutet

In May 2025, Alexandra Kambler and Ingrid Öberg were appointed as the as Student Ombuds for the leading medical research university in Sweden. They are based within Medicinska Föreningen i Stockholm and serve about 6,500 students and 2,200 doctoral students, providing confidential, independent, and impartial support on matters including grade appeals, eligibility questions, conflicts, and disciplinary cases. 

National Planning Conference Renews Ombuds Services with MWI

MWI will provide conference Ombuds services for the American Planning Association’s 2026 National Planning Conference, April 25–28, 2026, in Detroit, which is expected to draw more than 5,000 attendees. Nnena Odim returns for a fourth year as Conference Ombuds

University of Innsbruck Appoints Ombuds

Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck has appointed Milan Ončák as Ombudsperson for PhD students. The appointment establishes a new Ombuds function at the large research university in capital of Austria's Tyrol county. 

Registration Opens for Certificate Program at Danube University Krems

The application window has opened for the new certificate program: “Managing Conflict and Effective Dispute Resolution in Higher Education” at the University for Continuing Education Krems (Universität für Weiterbildung Krems). Developed in cooperation with ENOHE and billed as the first formal training in Europe for professional conflict management in higher education, the two-semester program is tailored to Ombuds and others handling student complaints and stakeholder conflicts.

Partners in the Outdoors Conference Renews with MWI

For the third consecutive year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has partnered with MWI to provide Ombuds services for its Partners in the Outdoors Conference, taking place April 27–29, 2026, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. Jai Calloway will return as Conference Ombuds for the event, which convenes leaders from across sectors to explore the evolving relationship between conservation and outdoor recreation in Colorado.

The Global Fund and Gavi Select Next Ombuds

Rahele Stoessel Malanca has been appointed the new Ombuds for The Global Fund and Gavi, the world’s largest public-private health partnerships that are funding vaccines and diseases prevention in low-income countries. Based at the joint offices in Geneva, Malanca will provide Ombuds services to employees and contractors worldwide following IOA standards.