Four New Members Become SCMP Certified
IABC NSW is proud to congratulate four of our members who recently became certified as Strategic Communication Management Professionals.
Jacinta Campbell, Alison Evans, Chris Saxby and Karen Godfrey join six other NSW certified members and other senior communicators around the world to hold the credential of SCMP - Strategic Communication Management Professional from the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC).
Here they explain their motivation, how they prepared and what it felt like to achieve it. The start of the year is a great time to plan your professional development goal too and the Global Communication Certification Council’s program is the only professional communication certification program in the world that meets ISO standards (ISO 17024).
Jacinta Campbell, Media and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, City of Newcastle
“I considered the GCCC Certification process an opportunity to test my years of experience against a global standard. It was challenging but really worth the investment in time. I set myself a goal in 2022 to achieve SCMP Certification and felt really proud of myself once I did. Reading and preparing for the SCMP certification actually reignited my passion for the profession. I found myself picking up The IABC Guide for Practical Business Communication in any spare moment I had. The guide together with readings and webinars from IABC’s online resources were valuable reinforcement of delivering to a model of communication excellence and best practice principles.”
Alison Evans, Internal Communication and Engagement, Greater Bank
“SCMP is more than a set of post-nominals. To maintain the certification requires ongoing commitment to learning, mentoring and best practice. It’s rigorous but that’s an important marker of credibility and gives businesses and senior leaders confidence they’re working with contemporary professionals who are well practiced in providing strategic communication advice.
“Right now, businesses are facing unique challenges, especially when it comes to transformation and the employee experience, so there’s significant demand for strategic communication which helps deliver outcomes that align with business objectives.”
Chris Saxby, Brand, Marketing & Communications Business Partner - Clients & Markets, Aurecon
“It was a personal achievement I wanted to accomplish. I have been a member of IABC's International Foundation Grant Selection TaskForce for the past three years and am the Current Chair and wanted to ensure that I was leading by example by being certified.
“I really enjoyed the study groups and meeting online to discuss the reading material. It makes you think about best practice as it applies to your day-to-day role. After receiving my SCMP certification, I was relieved but also very grateful to be part of a community that celebrates ongoing professional development.”
Karen Godfrey, Internal Communications Manager, BOC South Pacific
“Thanks to all the SCMP professionals who have shared their experience about why this certifications matters. You inspired me to take the plunge. You said it was tough but rightly so. I have been in the profession for 15 years without any Communication qualifications, so I needed to know I had the skills and experience to operate at a strategic level, and meet global ethical standards. I also learnt that I have some work to do – so plenty of questions for my comms people coming up.
“I encourage experienced communicators to take the challenge – happy to support you through it.”
Want to demonstrate your communication credentials?
Find out more about certification – either to become a Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) or the Communication Management Professional (CMP) – and what it involves on the GCCC website. If you’re keen to complete it this year, have questions or would like some support, contact IABC NSW’s Director Professional Development, Jane Hamilton.