To all Caribbean consultants, members of the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants (CICMC), and their representatives, clients and all those who are involved in the consulting profession, a warm welcome from CICMC as we celebrate International Consultants’ Day.

International Consultants’ Day is observed around the world on June 4th. In this 11th year of celebration, CICMC seeks to spotlight and celebrate the value which consultants generate in the interest of our many clients and stakeholders throughout the Caribbean. On this day CICMC, together with our sister institutes around the world, which are affiliated with the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), as well as with many other professional consulting organizations, acknowledge that our clients need specialised professional and technical expertise in a range of disciplines.

These are indeed very exciting times. The consulting profession in the Caribbean is at the threshold of breakthrough change in its evolutionary process. The formation of professional associations; the development of codes of conduct and ethical practices that differentiate between professionalism and excellence; and the creation of opportunities for networking and strategic alliances are all contributing to a Caribbean Community of professional consultants defining excellence and promoting a growing culture of collaboration, learning, sharing and mentoring.

As Consultants we provide support in areas such as enhancing strategic leadership and management, financial and technical services, strengthening organizational and human capacity, building change readiness, conducting research, information technology and quality control services.

In The Bahamas, we are most appreciative of Scotiabank Bahamas, for their support in the launch of a local chapter of CICMC and the Grand Bahama Port Authority for their similar support with last year’s regional conference held in Trinidad. Consistent with the remit of CICMC and The Bahamas (Interim) Chapter, these organizations are similarly concerned with the development of the services sector, as well as the growth and sustainability of local entrepreneurs in the Micro, Small and Medium-size Enterprises (MSME) sector.

Our efforts are supported, and successfully so, by strategic partnerships with many organizations. CICMC particularly appreciates the trailblazing championing support of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, the European Union and GIZ, who have been instrumental in the formation and development of our regional body. We are also appreciative of the various other national, regional and international agencies who have also supported our endeavours.

As with other professional consulting governance bodies, CICMC strives to enhance the professionalism and recognition of the Management Consulting profession in the Caribbean. We seek to promote the ethical standards outlined in our Code of Conduct and to facilitate members in attaining the ISO accredited Certified Management Consultant (CMC) credential and global standard of excellence. On this International Consultants’ Day, we therefore encourage all consultants to reflect on the principles and values espoused by CICMC. We also wish to thank all those national, regional and international agencies which have contributed and continue to contribute to the various endeavours of CICMC.

Effective consultants bring researched and globally bench-marked best practices and solutions to problems. As consultants we are just as invested in the high performance of businesses as our clients who hire us. We purposefully execute our role of trusted advisors with a focused view of achieving our clients’ objectives in a spirit of cooperation and partnership.

We encourage our stakeholders to applaud and highlight the contribution that Caribbean consultants continue to make to the sustainable development of the region, in general; and in assisting private and public sector and civil society enterprises develop their effectiveness, improve their performance, and become increasingly more competitive. Consulting in the Caribbean is also becoming an increasing potential for high end exports, not only within the region, but also internationally. It is against this background that CICMC congratulates all Caribbean consultants and extend our best wishes for a Happy International Consultants’ Day.

CICMC also takes this opportunity to invite all interested consultants to learn more about the work of and membership in CICMC. Please visit our website: www.caribbeancmc.com or contact membership@caribbeancmc.com.