History: 2015-2019: A Renewed Focus on Global Impact

From 2015-2019, ICF continued to lead the global coaching profession through a number of events and offerings, empowering the coaching community and world.

2015 – 20 Years Strong: ICF by the Numbers

ICF celebrated 20 years of advancing professional coaching. In just five years, membership increased by 47% and credential-holders by 155%.

• ICF Chapters: 120 in 50+ countries and territories.
• ICF Members: 25,000+ in 136+ countries and territories.
• ICF Credential-holders: 17,845 in 106 countries and territories.

2015 – ICF Global Leaders Forum

The inaugural ICF Global Leaders Forum (GLF) took place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, gathering chapter leaders from around the world to share best practices and strengthen leadership capabilities. This annual event has since expanded to include all ICF volunteer leaders.

Building a global community — ICF chapter leaders unite at the Global Leaders Forum to shape the future of coaching worldwide.

2017 – ICF Converge, A Global Gathering

After years of smaller, regional events, ICF brought the coaching world together in 2017 with ICF Converge in Washington, D.C., USA. The event welcomed more than 1,600 attendees from 61 countries and territories, marking a new era of large-scale, global gatherings.

ICF Converge has since become a dynamic global event that fosters connections, promotes professional development, and explores trends and practices in the coaching profession.

Attendees from around the world have gathered to kick off ICF Converge 2017 in Washington, D.C., USA. On stage, the ICF CEO and 2017 Board Chair welcome the crowd, setting the tone for a conference filled with insight, collaboration, and community building. The scene reflects the energy of the ICF global family coming together to advance the coaching profession.

2017 – Aligning With the United Nations Goals

We believe in the power of coaching to transform lives and communities on a global scale. This is why we decided to align the ICF Foundation’s strategy with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are particularly evident through the Ignite Initiative, which leverages the collective power of ICF chapters, members and credential-holders to accelerate positive impact on humanity and the planet.

2019 – Ensuring Relevance in Coaching Standards

When ICF first developed the ICF Core Competencies and the ICF Code of Ethics, we set the standard in the coaching field. Twenty years later, we reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring these frameworks were relevant and inclusive to coach practitioners everywhere.

To elevate the relevance of our competency model, we conducted a job analysis involving more than 1,300 coaches worldwide, from various backgrounds and experience levels. The analysis confirmed the strength of the original ICF Core Competencies, but also led to a simpler, more streamlined model with clearer language.

We review the ICF Code of Ethics every three years to maintain its relevance. In 2019, a revised Code was approved by the Global Board of Directors and released in early 2020. In addition, the Code Review Team, which was made up of 22 individuals from 16 countries, prepared a set of interpretive statements so that coaches could better understand how to apply the revised Code in practice.