News and Resources

MEDIA PLEASE CONTACT:

Howard Bloom, CPCC
Chapter President, East Bay Coaches
(510) 647-3779

ICF MEMBERSHIP TOPS 10,000

Lexington, KY- The International Coach Federation (ICF) headquartered in Lexington, Ky., USA, was the first global association to represent business and personal coaches. Today it is the largest coaching association in the world. As of May 1, 2006, the ICF membership exceeded 10,000 members in 80 countries.

Founded in 1995, the ICF's purpose is to build, support and preserve the integrity of the coaching profession, foster the development of the community of coaches worldwide, maintain and enhance the standards and practices of the coaching profession, and support members in creating a successful coaching practice.

In 1999 (the first year member numbers are available) ICF had 2,122 members. From 1999 to today, the ICF's membership has experienced an almost 400 percent growth. Today, 44 percent of the ICF membership is located outside the United States, compared with only 15 percent in 1999.

No one could have predicted the amazing growth of the coaching profession in the world," said Pamela Richarde, MCC, ICF President. "We are thrilled that so many people are embracing coaching and understanding its tremendous impact on business and personal growth."

The ICF offers the only independent coaching credentialing program that is recognized globally. The ICF credential is awarded to professional coaches who have demonstrated that they meet stringent education and experience requirements. ICF

strongly recommends that consumers choose an ICF credentialed coach to ensure their coach is experienced and professional. “A coach who has earned an ICF credential has shown an extraordinary commitment to personal excellence and the coaching profession as a whole,” said Richarde.

The International Coach Federation sets the industry standard of excellence and integrity for professional coaching worldwide. ICF has more than 10,000 members in 80 countries. The International Coach Federation developed the only worldwide recognized independent credential in the industry to ensure the professionalism of coaches. For more information on ICF or to find a coach, visit www.coachfederation.org.

We wanted to give you advance notice of an ICF event that is planned for this summer. The event is for a small number of invited thought leaders from around the world, and will produce results that will have a global impact for the coaching profession. We want to give you the background and details of the event so that you can share it with other ICF members.

A Task Force led by 2005 ICF Board member Patrick Williams, MCC, worked diligently for over a year to develop a forum that would gather of group of diverse, international thought leaders in the coaching profession to discuss coaching‚s present and future. This event is called, Evolving the Conversation: A Summit on the Future of Coaching.

"This event is a very important event in the history and evolution of the coaching profession as it will provide an open dialogue with some of the world‚s most influential thought leaders to voice all opinions and visions for the visibility and sustainability of our profession," says Patrick Williams, MCC.

To foster communication and synergy in one place, for the sake of furthering our profession, ideally finding common ground.

To utilize knowledge gained from this event to address the needs of the profession today, and to plan for the next 5-10 years. The information gained and relationships formed from this event will further the possibility for a more unified voice.

The coaching profession is growing rapidly, with many factions and voices. Bringing the voices of thought leaders together to engage in meaningful discussion will provide a better understanding of the coaching profession.

Many of those within and close to the profession see coaching at a crossroads. There are a plethora of organizations, as well as coaching schools. There can be a continuing trend of everyone "doing their own thing," or there could be a shift toward unifying in the interest of presenting a more cohesive image to those who use coaching services. The Summit will focus on meaningful dialogue to help us collectively discern a path to enduring success.

It serves the industry to hear the voices of thought leaders from all regions, backgrounds and affiliations so that we can better understand their views of the coaching profession.

Hosting a Summit where those who have not been at the ICF table sit down and engage in meaningful discussion with those who have been at the ICF table will further this objective.

ICF will host the event, including invitations, managing logistics, hiring an independent professional facilitator, conducting media relations, providing meeting space and meals at the event, and distributing an event summary.

As mentioned earlier, an ICF Task Force has been working on this project for over a year, with the intent of bringing together a cross-section of ICF and non-ICF influencers of coaching.

Vikki Brock, MCC, a member of the Task Force, was working on a "Who's Who in Coaching" survey as part of her PhD dissertation. This survey was disseminated to a broad spectrum of those involved in the coaching profession. The results of the survey were used to identify top thought leaders around the world.

The survey looked at several criteria for selecting the attendees: geographic and cultural representation, professional affiliation, training/education background, business orientation, coaching specialty and allied professions (e.g., psychology, management, consulting, training and human resources).

The ICF Board and Chapters made additional recommendations if any particular area of the world wasn't sufficiently represented.

Invitations are now out to the list and an alternate list has been developed in the event someone is unable to attend.

It was decided early on that the number of invitees would be carefully monitored to keep the group small, approximately 50 people.

To date, 35 people from 14 countries have confirmed. The complete list of participants will be shared when it is confirmed.

Patrick Williams adds, "There are many, many thought leaders and influential coaches around the globe and the process of inviting only 50 was based on over a year of exhaustive research, conversations, and contacts. WE have been intentional in bringing diversity of voice and nationality to the table and have hired a neutral facilitator who is not a coach for that reason. This is an exciting event and one that will be recorded and reported upon to the entire coaching world."

The Summit will further positive perception of coaching by the public through media coverage of the event.

The Summit will promote increased collaboration and inclusion of professionals from coaching and related professions.

ICF thanks the Task Force that worked on this project for over a year. Their leadership and vision were instrumental in bringing this event to life. Task Force members included: Patrick Williams, MCC, Chair; Laura Atwood; Vikki Brock, MCC; Pauline Fleming, MCC and Ginger Jenks, MCC.

Further details of the Summit will be communicated to the ICF Leadership as they are developed. In addition, ICF expects the outcomes of the Summit to promote the understanding and awareness of coaching throughout the world, which will benefit all ICF members.

International Coach Federation, 2365 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite A325, Lexington, Ky. 40504 USA
888.423.3131 (toll free), +1.859.219.3580, +1.859.226.4411 (fax)
E-mail: icfoffice@coachfederation.org
www.coachfederation.org