The Global Landscape The International Coach Federation (ICF) is the leading global organisation dedicated to advancing the coaching profession. It achieves this by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals. ICF also accredits programs that deliver coach-specific training that adhere to a rigorous review to ensure their curriculum aligns with ICF Core Competencies and its Code of Ethics. In June 2018 there are 34,615 members in more than 70 countries across the globe.
The International Coach Federation in Australia and New Zealand
A member-elected Board of Directors and 10 local branch leadership teams – all volunteers – manage all facets of the virtual organisation with the support and services of an administration manager.
ICF Australasia Member Growth 2016-2018 No. of Members
ICF Australasia Incorporated (ICF Australasia) is a Chartered Chapter operating across two geographies, Australia and New Zealand to support more than 1,600 members.
1700 1617
1600 1500 1400
1418 June 2016
1465 June 2017
June 2018
Annual Membership Renewal Period
Benefits and Challenges of a Virtual Organisation Led by Volunteers I was saying to a colleague recently that we are fortunate to live in a world today where systems that allow working flexibility and convenience is the norm. Once upon a time, there were few options other than to travel to a common venue to attend a meeting or training event ‘in person’. Today, it is a treat to meet face-to-face and more often than not, ICF Australasia leaders and members are meeting over Zoom (virtual meeting and webinar platform) and only on some of these occasions with the Brady Bunch-like video images onscreen! In between meetings there are, of course, phone calls and emails among the leadership and most importantly, for our members, there are a range of local Branch offerings such as communities of practice, coaching circles, networking and professional development events. Page 10
For the most part, the virtual arrangement is efficient, and it works well; we are after all, dispersed from Perth in Western Australia right across to Christchurch on the Southern Island of New Zealand. In daylight savings season, we span five time zones. I’m based in Brisbane, Queensland and at a client site only today I heard someone who had just returned from leave saying that he’d driven North for 18 hours and was still in Queensland! This concept is unfamiliar to our European colleagues and, while the United States and North America is also a vast geography, the critical mass of ICF members is significantly higher there, with more than 16,000 (ten times that of ICF Australasia).
