BrazilICMCI provides CMF Firm certificate to Dutch HR consultancy Leeuwendaal
The ICMCI has provided Leeuwendaal, a Netherlands-based human capital consultancy, the CMF Firm certificate. The status recognises the firm’s quality of organisational and HR consultancy work at clients, which according to the global consulting organ now match the highest standards in the consulting profession.
Launched in 2013 by the ICMCI, the Certified Management Consulting Firm (CMC Firm) standard is one that is only provided to consulting firms that operate in line with the stringent CMC guidelines of the international institution. ICMCI (the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes) is a global organisation that oversees the quality and progression of the management consulting profession. The body was established in 1987 in the United States and today leads member associations in over fifty countries.
To be certified as a CMC Firm, consultancies need to demonstrate that they deliver sustained results at clients coupled with high satisfaction, and prove that their own internal operations are up to the highest standards in the consulting industry. Further criteria to which consulting firms need to adhere include a strong reputation, an established track record (including of its consultants), and a code of conduct which promotes excellence in service delivery as well as social impact.
The Chinese firm Hejun Consulting was the first consultancy five years ago to ever receive the certification, and several have since followed in Hejun’s footsteps. The latest to be added to the CMC Firm roster is Leeuwendaal, a Dutch HR consulting firm. Established in 1990, Leeuwendaal today has a team of around 170 consultants and trainers serving both the public and private sector, although the firm's focus is mainly on the prior segment (private clients are however served through the firm’s Higher & Company label). Leeuwendaal’s key offerings include human resources, leadership and team development, compensation & benefits, assessments and training & education. The firm also provides search & selection, interim management and legal services.
Commenting on the recognition from the global institute, Laurens Zwaan, a senior consultant at Leeuwendaal, said, “The CMC Firm status provides organisations globally with the guarantee that they are working with the very best in the marketplace – those that operate along the lines of high quality and ethical standards. We are proud to have been included into this group.” Zwaan adds that while the firm’s CMC certified consultants have taken the lead in pursuing the status, coming through the selection process is testimony to the quality of work of all of Leeuwendaal’s employees. “Obtaining this international certification was a true team effort.”
The accreditation sees Leeuwendaal become the fourth consultancy in the Netherlands to qualify for the CMF Firm programme, following in the footsteps of Andersson Elffers Felix (a strategy and management consulting firm), JBR (a strategy and corporate finance firm) and WagenaarHoes (an organisation and change consultancy). All four firms are member of the ROA, which is the association for management consulting firms in the country.
Aside from the CMC Firm status, ICMCI also has the certifications: Certified Management Consultant (CMC; for consultants); Accredited Consulting Practice (ACP; for consultancies); and CMC Academic Fellows (for professors). Leeuwendaal also holds the ACP certificate, while Zwaan himself is among a select group of only 9.000 consultants worldwide than can call themselves a CMC practitioner.
