Global Consulting Community
In the 20th century, management consulting has emerged as a unique profession. Although the development of the profession has always benefited from international exchange of knowledge and insights, the organisation of the profession actually started on a national level. The first national association for management consulting emerged around 1940 (Ooa in the Netherlands!).

Today, the field of Management Consulting is dynamic, fast-paced and both global and local at the same time. Similar to other Tier 1 professions such as Chartered Professional Accountants or Professional Engineers, Management Consulting has a broad scope of practice with many sub-specialties. This said; any management consultant professional needs to have a functional competence in core aspects, along with a personal commitment to continually advance their knowledge, skills and practice in both the core and specialty areas of practice. Another important component to being a professional is the care and judgment to not exceed one’s personal competence; and to call-in or recommend colleagues with the particular wisdom required by their client, when their client is challenged to explore beyond the management consultant’s expertise.

Building your Career in Consulting
With proper training, good mentoring by senior consultants, and becoming part of a vibrant professional community, an individual can travel the world with their projects, have significant positive impact on individuals, companies, industries, countries and enjoy an exciting professional career in Management Consulting!

CMC-Global (ICMCI) is the international Management Consulting professional body, comprised of individual country-based, member, Institutes of Management Consulting (IMCs). Together we work with many industry leaders, with academia, with consulting firms of all shapes and sizes, and have built a common standard for the individual certification of professional management consultants.

Your local (country-based) Institute for Management Consulting
When you join a member IMC, you are also joining a global community of trusted, ethical, and committed colleagues. When you become a “Certified Management Consultant” (CMC) through your national IMC, you have shown that you have the knowledge, competence, commitment and peer acceptance, that you are a true professional. The CMC designation is a statement that you are both committed to and capable of delivering a higher level of management consulting! The CMC designation is recognized in around the world as a self-regulating professional designation – with all the attendant privileges and obligations that come with such a distinction.

Achieving your CMC is just the beginning however. Once certified as a professional, you embark on a lifetime of learning and honing your knowledge, skills and judgment.

Successful CMC’s have built excellent personal reputations and enhanced the reputation of their firm as well. Often they contribute to very significant changes, improvements and achievements by their for-profit, not-for-profit, government and other unique clients. Many CMC’s have worked throughout their own country, internationally and formed exciting, rewarding networks and collaborations across industries and continents.

Will you join us (as a client, IMC, sponsor or individual) in moving our profession to the next level of excellence?

Background & History of CMC-Global
CMC-Global is an international membership organisation and a network of the management advisory and consultancy associations and institutes worldwide, who have a common purpose and shared values and goals.

In 1987, thirty-two management consultants from ten countries met in Paris to explore the common ground between professional institutes which were known to certify individual management consultants. The initiative for this meeting came from John Roethle, then Chairman of the Institute of Management Consultants of the United States. The IMCs from Canada and the UK were the first to support the initiative. The meeting resulted in a joint proposal to the formation of an International Council of Management Consulting Institutes to improve the certification of management consultants around the world. IMCs of seven countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United States of America) formed the founding members of the new Council.

In 1989 the CMC-Global organizational structure including membership requirements and application process were in place. Membership had grown to ten IMCs with four applications pending. The thirty delegates from eleven countries who attended this session ratified the structure and membership criteria, agreed to establish CMC-Global as a Swiss Verein (organization type) and approved the Code of Professional Conduct. This CMC-Global Code became the first and still may be the only international code of conduct of any profession.
In 1993 the CMC-Global strategic plan was adopted by the members. The features of this plan included:

• International Standards

  To develop and update international professional standards and ensure (national) member institutes support and adherence.

• International Recognition

  To develop support from key international influencers and national institutes for the value of certification, and to achieve worldwide recognition of the CMC international designation as the world-class benchmark of management consultancy competence, objectivity, independence, and professionalism.

• Membership Development

  To encourage into membership all appropriately qualified national certifying institutes around the world.

• Member Services and Communications

  To support current and prospective members with relevant services, including networking, information sharing, and programs to enhance growth and market recognition within each country.

• Funding and Revenue Generation

  To obtain members' support for the real costs of running ICMCI and to develop a wider range of funding sources and revenue-generating programs to achieve our mission and vision.

• Organization

  To enhance organizational effectiveness through cost efficient methods and structure.

The CMC-Global also approved the CMC as the universal designation for certified management consultants. In 2013 ICMCI delegates agreed to brand the ICMCI as the CMC-Global. This name was introduced and has been in use since then.
Since this start, CMC-Global has grown both in member Institutes, in position and in achievements. A few of the main achievements are:

• The CMC designation developed, established and being promoted globally.

• 48 country-based Institutes of Management Consulting + Global Institute (to certify individuals in countries where there isn’t an IMC established) associated with CMC-Global.

• A common body of knowledge and a competency model have been introduced to IMCs.

• An International Code of Professional Conduct has been ratified

• The model for Accredited Consulting Practices (ACPs) has been developed and implemented.

• CMC-Global has achieved recognition and the NGO status with the United Nations.

• A CEN-standard for management consulting has been developed and ratified.

• Quality assurance certification is in place.

• The Constantinus Award is established as an incentive and recognition for high-class management consulting.

• The Academic Fellow programme is established and gaining numbers.

• The ISO standard for management consulting (ISO 20700) has been developed and is being finalised for announcement in 2016-2017.

• An annual International CMC Conference that started in 2013.

Our core activities, focused on the promotion and improvement of the CMC value proposition, are to:

• Achieve common objectives to improve the profession through the IMC’s.

• Continuously elevate the standards of management consultants worldwide and increase acceptance of management consulting as a respected profession.

• Encourage reciprocity between national institutes with recognised universal standards and adherence to an International Code of Conduct.

• Promote the value of the CMC to international bodies who influence the selecting and use of management consultants.

In recognition of the role management consulting plays in world trade, CMC-Global was granted Non-Government Organisation (NGO) status with Special Consulting Focus by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2001.

In 2010 our Breakthrough strategy was put forward to all member associations for approval, it focused on increasing ties within the network itself and with the outside stakeholders, many of its projects were implemented and many services were added to the CMC-Global portfolio. Those focused on increasing and strengthening our ties with Academia, the non-consulting organizations and with consulting corporations worldwide to increase the presence and acknowledgement of the CMC designation.

CMC-Global as the Volunteer-driven Professional Body of Management Consultants
CMC-Global has always worked as a federation, formed and owned by the IMCs. The IMCs are its members. They provide CMC-Global’s working budget through their membership fees.

Almost all achievements and the main work of CMC-Global has been realized on the basis of volunteer work – provided by CMC-management consultants who consider this as their contribution back to their profession.

CMC-Global’s character is thus that of a values-driven organization, meant to develop the profession worldwide and to raise the bar for the serious consultants “A” movement that has become organized. For itself, it has never had a for-profit motive, but must operate in a self-sustaining manner.

In 2012 we celebrated our 25th anniversary. CMC-Global has achieved a coverage and position far beyond the level at which it started in 1987:
We now have 48 country-based Institute members,  
Some 9.000+ CMCs belong to these local Institutes of Management Consulting.
We have developed ties with ~ 40 Academic Fellows in many universities
We cover most parts of the world.

Due to this, ICMCI is now branded as CMC-Global in order to reflect the increasing number of CMCs represented in our network.

We have earned country government and international recognition for the CMC standard and established good relationships with other international bodies such as the United Nations, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Union, etc. We have been able to stimulate and support emerging IMCs and this has contributed to an acceleration in the adoption of CMC as the professional standard for management consulting worldwide.