International Coach Federation Surpasses 20,000 Credential-holders
Milestone achievement reflects growing consumer demand for credentialed professional coaches.
More than 20,000 professional coach practitioners worldwide now hold an ICF Credential.
Lexington, Kentucky, USA—More than 20,000 professional coaches worldwide now hold an International Coach Federation (ICF) Credential.
ICF Global’s CEO/Executive Director, Magdalena Mook, and Assistant Executive Director, George Rogers, announced the milestone during an October 11, 2016, Facebook Live broadcast.
“Crossing the 20,000-credential-holder threshold is a significant achievement, particularly when you consider that the ICF Credentialing program has only been in place for 18 years. ICF Credential-holders exemplify excellence in coaching and are ambassadors for global standards in our profession. Our association is proud to have established this framework of standards that protect the public, provide professional growth opportunities to coaches and measure the quality of services offered,” Mook said.
Increasingly, individual and organizational consumers of coaching are demanding practitioners who hold professional credentials. Among coach practitioners who responded to the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study, 77 percent agreed that people and organizations who receive or use coaching expect their coaches to be certified or credentialed. Consumers agree: Among 2014 ICF Global Consumer Awareness Studyrespondents who had participated in a coaching relationship, 83 percent agreed that it was important for coaches to hold a credential. Among consumers who had partnered with a credentialed coach, 93 percent expressed satisfaction with the coaching experience.
The 20,000th coach in the world to hold a current, active ICF Credential is Erin Corcoran, of Chicago, Illinois, USA. She earned ICF’s Associate Certified Coach (ACC)designation on September 28.
During a career that spanned two-plus decades in fields including recruitment, marketing and business development, Corcoran said she was exposed to several organizations where coaching was part of leaders’ toolboxes. However, she said that it was the experience of partnering with a coach herself—along with a fortuitous conversation with a former colleague seeking coaches for their organization—that prompted her to pursue coach training from an ICF-accredited program.
Corcoran said there was no question that she’d pursue an ICF Credential after completing training. “It was an extension of how I approached coaching from the beginning. I wanted to learn and be thoughtful. The ICF Credential imparts credibility and professionalism. It also demonstrates that the peers in my professional community have established high standards for us to follow,” she said.
The International Coach Federation (ICF) is dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high ethical standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches across a variety of coaching disciplines. ICF is active in representing all facets of the coaching industry, including Executive, Life Vision and Enhancement, Leadership, Relationship, and Career Coaching. Its 25,000-plus members located in more than 135 countries work toward the common goal of enhancing awareness of coaching, upholding the integrity of the profession, and continually educating themselves with the newest research and practices.
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ICF HEADQUARTERS CONTACT
Abby Tripp Heverin
+1.859.219.3529
abby.heverin@coachfederation.org
