Chris Poole is President and Chief Executive Officer of JAMS, the world’s premier private provider of mediation and arbitration services. Founded in 1979, JAMS has 25+ offices in the United States and continues to expand its global footprint with further resources and facilities in Europe, Asia and South America. Mr. Poole is leading the organization during an unprecedented period of growth for JAMS and the entire alternative dispute resolution (ADR) industry. Mr. Poole works closely with senior management and the neutrals who own the company to implement JAMS “Mission, Vision and Values.” He is actively involved in recruiting high-profile ADR talent to JAMS and overseeing the operations and marketing functions in all JAMS offices across the globe. Prior to joining JAMS, Poole was CEO at Thomson Elite, part of The Thomson Corporation. Under Poole’s leadership, Thomson Elite grew to be one of the most successful suppliers to the legal industry. Mr. Poole was responsible for overseeing multiple product lines with 800 employees. During his tenure, Elite dominated its core market, achieving a market share of over 60 percent of the largest law firms in the world. Poole led the company to expand internationally while introducing new products and penetrating new markets. Before joining Elite, Mr. Poole was Executive Director of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. Latham is one of the largest law firms in the world. Poole was the recipient of the 2002 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Harvard University in 1979 and his M.B.A. in Computers and Marketing from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA in 1984.