About Ali Cupper - Workplace Conflict Coach & Mediator | Friendly Fire

<h2>Meet Ali Cupper</h2><p>I'm a lawyer, social worker, politician, activist and nationally-accredited mediator. For 20 years, I've been at the epicentre of conflict - and conflict resolution - working with people when the stakes are highest and emotions run deep.</p><p>Here's what I've learned: most teams aren't failing because they have conflict. They're failing because they're avoiding it.</p><h3>Experience Where Conflict Can't Be Avoided</h3><p>I haven't just studied conflict - I've lived it. Across politics, workplaces, child protection, family law and youth justice, I've navigated high-stakes negotiations where conflict couldn't be avoided, it had to be faced. And when done well, incredibly valuable outcomes could be achieved for children, families, teams and entire communities.</p><h4>Workplace & Employment Law</h4><p>I have extensive experience in employment law, including enterprise bargaining, unfair dismissal, discrimination and bullying - working as a union official, lawyer and workplace investigator. I understand workplace conflict from every angle: representing employees, advising employers, conducting investigations, and negotiating collective agreements. I know what it takes to navigate power dynamics, competing interests, and high-emotion situations while maintaining fairness and achieving sustainable outcomes.</p><h4>Politics & Public Leadership</h4><p>As our region's first female State Member of Parliament, I served in the 59th Parliament of Victoria as an Independent MP. In a tough political environment, I secured record-breaking investment of more than $400 million in just 4 years - proof that constructive conflict and principled negotiation deliver results.</p><p>Before that, I spent 8 years as an elected councillor on Mildura Rural City Council, including 3 terms as Deputy Mayor and one term as Mayor, leading through complex community challenges and competing interests.</p><h4>Child Protection & Family Law</h4><p>As Practice Leader for Family Led Decision Making in the Child Protection Unit at the department formerly known as Health and Human Services, I worked at the intersection of trauma, systems and family dynamics - where the stakes couldn't be higher.</p><p>I'm an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), helping families navigate their most difficult conversations and find pathways forward when relationships break down.</p><h4>Youth Justice & Restorative Practice</h4><p>As Youth Justice Group Conference Convenor for the Mallee Region, I facilitate restorative justice conversations with young offenders, victims and Police - creating space for accountability, healing and transformation in some of the most emotionally charged situations imaginable.</p><h3>Why Friendly Fire?</h3><p>All of this experience taught me something critical: conflict isn't something to fear or avoid - it's fuel for innovation, deeper trust, and breakthrough thinking. When teams learn to engage with disagreement constructively, everything changes: decisions get better, relationships get stronger, and performance improves.</p><p>That's why I created Friendly Fire. Recently, I teamed up with international communication experts Clarity 4D to develop a new approach to conflict that is conscious, brave and restorative. It's also quick, easy and fun to learn.</p><p>We combine the best scientific tools and evidence-based techniques with plenty of real-life examples and expert insights to change the game for workplace relationships and team performance.</p><h3>My Approach</h3><p>Through the Friendly Fire Team Workshop and 1:1 Conflict + Communication Coaching, I help individuals and teams develop the skills to turn tension into transformation. Whether you're navigating boardroom disagreements, team friction, workplace investigations, or difficult conversations, I bring two decades of real-world experience from the frontlines of conflict.</p><h3>Credentials</h3><p><strong>Ali Cupper</strong><br>LLB/LP, BIS, BSW<br>Nationally Accredited Mediator<br>Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner<br>Youth Justice Group Conference Convenor, Mallee Region<br>Former State Member of Parliament, 59th Parliament of Victoria<br>Former Mayor & Deputy Mayor, Mildura Rural City Council<br>Former Practice Leader, Family Led Decision Making, Child Protection<br>Employment Law Specialist (Union Official, Lawyer & Workplace Investigator)</p><h3>Ready to Transform Your Team?</h3><p>Whether you're a team leader tired of tiptoeing around problems or ready to build your conflict skills, let's get started.</p>