Since its official launch in 2021, the Chartered Management Consultant Accreditation has gone from strength to strength, with more than 5,000 professionals having participated in the scheme. Looking back on the first five years of the award, the Management Consultancies Association and the Chartered Management Institute have hosted an event in London, celebrating its growing status as a mark of quality in the professional services sector.
Created by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), the Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) Accreditation is the sole professional standard for management consultants in the UK, acknowledging the highest levels of competence, professionalism, and ethical practice. With initial plans and piloting commencing in 2017, the award has steadily gained a reputation as a symbol to reassure clients of a professional’s capabilities.
Uniquely, the ChMC is the only internationally recognised professional management consulting accreditation, specifically developed to validate the skills and professionalism of management consultants. While the industry remains unregulated in comparison to accounting or the legal field, chartered status gives consultants the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise and proficiency in their field – and this has seen the award’s popularity enjoy a meteoric rise.
Since its launch in 2021, the ChMC community has grown to nearly 5,000 consultants, with more than 2,500 holding full Chartered status. Nearly 50 MCA member firms have now committed to offering ChMC accreditation to their teams, reflecting its establishment as the benchmark for management consultancy in the UK.
London celebration
To highlight these milestones, and look forward to further growth, the CMI and MCA have hosted a gathering of consultants and clients in London, to celebrate the achievements of ChMC-holders. Attended by more than 150 guests, the gathering was addressed by Baroness Lloyd of Effra, minister for digital economy, and Marco Amitrano, senior partner for PwC UK and Middle East.
Baroness Lloyd commented, “The UK government has made professional and business services a central pillar of its modern industrial policy for the first time, recognising consultancy as a key frontier sector essential to driving long term economic growth. This anniversary is an important moment for the sector. The introduction of Chartered status has provided a structured way for consultants to demonstrate experience and professional capability, and it is encouraging to see how widely the accreditation has been taken up.”
The event also saw a strong recommendation of the ChMC from businesses, delivered via independent research commissioned by the MCA and conducted by Savanta. The findings showed that 77% of clients surveyed said it’s important consultants hold chartered status, while 78% said they would be more inclined to hire a firm whose consultants are chartered.
Tamzen Isacsson, CEO of the MCA, contended, “This research demonstrates a powerful endorsement from clients who are clearly stating that Chartered status matters and gives them confidence in who they are hiring. Clients use consultants as trusted advisors on work that is complex, high risk and mission critical and quite rightly they want reassurance on standards, ethics and capability. The Chartered Management Consultant accreditation provides that reassurance and clients are actively choosing it.”
Clients also pointed to the higher professional standards associated with chartered consultants as a reason for favouring them – with 43% confirming as much. A further 43% noted the trust and credibility it brings, while 39% highlighted a strong ethical framework and adherence to a code of conduct as its most valued benefits.
Ann Francke, CEO of the CMI, concluded, “This research confirms a pivotal shift: clients now explicitly recognise and value the Chartered award as the definitive hallmark of trust, ethics, and professional excellence. With nearly 80% of clients now prioritising Chartered status, it is clear that ChMC has become an essential benchmark for any consultant looking to win and retain client confidence.”
Source link
#Chartered #consulting #award #passes #fiveyear #milestone
