Ann Ryan Robertson was elected to serve as Chair of the North American Branch of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators at its annual meeting held on September 27, 2008 in Washington D.C. Founded in 1915 in London, the Institute is a recognized world leader in providing training and qualifications in arbitration. Over the past ninety-three years, the Institute has expanded to include branches around the world. The North American Branch, established in 1993, has approximately 350 members from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. The North American Branch promotes and facilitates the resolution of disputes by arbitration through training courses focusing on the practice of international commercial and construction arbitration.