 |
||
 |
||
|
|
THE CHAIR'S PERSPECTIVE Taking Stock: A Year Well Spent
As my term as SCIP’s Chair comes to a close, I reflect on what a wonderful year it has been. Our International Conference in Orlando was dynamic and thought-provoking. It provided just the right mix of education, networking and fun. When we compare this conference to last year’s, we saw an across-the-board increase in workshop attendance, total registrations and exhibitor support. I have no doubt that this year’s Conference in May in Philadelphia will be even better. I am also pleased with the early results from our recent joint venture between SCIP and ACI, the world’s leading competitive intelligence training organization. The accredited SCIP CIPTM Certification Conferred by ACI program makes world-class training and certification available to a global audience. Courses were offered this year in Brazil, Singapore, U.S. and Austria. As I have stated previously, I believe this venture greatly benefits the membership by bringing the highest quality education and certification opportunities to all of our members. More than 150 individuals—the largest pool of candidates since ACI began the program in 2001—went through the program and sat for the certification exams in 2011. Ultimately, I envision ACI’s nine course accredited certificate program becoming universally accepted as a mark of distinction in the CI profession. In this respect, it is similar to a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation which is globally recognized by employers, investment professionals and investors as the definitive standard by which to measure serious investment professionals. I have already begun to see job opportunities where the ACI certification is preferred. In this knowledge economy, I believe having a certification program is essential to the well-being of the profession. SCIP’s increasing international footprint and global reach were evidenced by a SCIP Latin America Summit, Asia-Pacific Summit and European Summit (November in Austria). We also welcomed a new chapter in India and are looking at the possible establishment of new chapters in New Zealand, China, Australia and France. With approximately one-third of our membership international, we must continue to develop programs and activities that cater to their needs. SCIP currently has members in over 70 countries. Speaking of membership, we have seen over 25 percent growth in our membership during the past twelve months. New members are the lifeblood of the organization—more members mean more diversity of views and greater networking opportunities. Our dynamic vice president for membership, Patrice Davenport, has developed a two-pronged strategy that both aggressively recruits new members as well as seeks to retain current members. The cornerstone of the retention effort is to ensure that we are offering relevant training, education and networking opportunities to members at all stages of their careers. That is, to create a robust value proposition for all our members. Whether you are a practitioner, consultant or vendor, there is something for everyone. SCIP is working hard to enhance its image by leveraging social media. On LinkedIn, there is a SCIP subgroup. There are currently over 10,000 members – 3X our current membership. What a great way to promote our brand. If you are not a member, I encourage you to sign up and explore the wide range of topics covered. It is easy. Sign up here and SCIP will approve your membership so you can join the discussion. In closing, I would be remiss in not thanking my fellow board members for their support and effort this past year. They are truly a remarkable bunch that has consistently made smart decisions that have helped the organization grow and become an even stronger advocate for the competitive intelligence profession. I leave knowing that SCIP is in excellent hands with Michael Bernaiche as the incoming Chair. The knowledge, enthusiasm and experience he brings to the position will no doubt push SCIP to even greater heights. Finally, the professional staff of SCIP—Ken Garrison, Bonnie Hohhof, Robyn Reals, Sandy Skipper and Patrice Davenport—has my undying gratitude. They have the Herculean task of making sure that the SCIP mission of “enhancing the success of our membership through leadership, education, advocacy and networking” rings true. Mission accomplished. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve this wonderful organization. Together let’s make 2012 our best year ever. About the author Scott Leeb is the vice president of business intelligence at Prudential Retirement where he is responsible for customer analytics and data strategy functions in support of the CMO and senior leadership team. Currently chairman of the Board of Directors, Leeb has been an active and long-time member of the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP). He holds a BA from Yale University, an MA from Columbia University and an MIA from The Australian National University.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
© 2011 Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals |