ABOUT CHARTERED BUSINESS COACH (ChBC)

As the first-ever chartered status for business coaching professionals, WABC’s Chartered Business Coach (ChBC) credential is the industry’s most coveted credential designed exclusively for elite business coaches. Business coaches at this level are expected to possess specialized knowledge and professional competence in order to demonstrate their mastery of the WABC business coaching competencies and their application of a range of business coaching initiatives and activities across a wide diversity of contexts, the outcomes of which may be unpredictable. Furthermore, business coaches at this highest level of professional practice are expected to exercise substantial personal autonomy along with their significant influence, leadership and contribution within their organization, the profession or academic settings.

Purpose of Credential

ChBC:

• Sets global standards for elite professional business coaches, and clearly identifies these standards for buyers of business coaching
• Provides an independent, robust, transparent assessment process that recognizes appropriate levels of education and continuing professional development for the highest standards of professionalism in business coaching
• Promotes high-caliber leadership in business coaching services for the benefit of clients
• Contributes to the definition, development and self-regulation of the business coaching profession

Type of Credential

ChBC is an independent, evidence-based credential that carries re-certification requirements (no prerequisite credential required*). 

*Each WABC credential is intended to be a stand-alone credential, which enables business coaches to pursue the credential that is right for their ambition, professional goals and client needs at any point in their careers.

Granting Institution

ChBC is awarded by WABC, headquartered in Canada.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES

You are an ideal candidate for ChBC if:

• You want to take your place among the very top business coaches in the world today
• You’re a senior leader or manager heavily utilizing business coaching, or
• You’re an internal business coach who works at senior levels of management and provides the same level of expertise expected of senior external coaches within the confines of your own organization (you may have gained experience across a range of organizations), or
• You’re an external business coach who works across a range of organizations and at senior levels of management, and
• You have a minimum of 5 years of senior and intensive business coaching experience, plus a minimum of 7 years of business and organizational experience, and
• You also possess:
  • The ability to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of business coaching, professionalism, leadership and significant achievements in the field, and a commitment to contributing to your and others’ professional development
  • The ability to evidence significant profile within the field
  • A reflective ability to meet the high assessment standards.

HOW TO EARN ChBC

To earn ChBC, you must meet these requirements:

• Pass a screening interview with a WABC Accredited (Level 4 – ChBC)^® program instructor, and
• Have at least five years of business coaching experience, and
• Meet minimum WABC membership requirements for ChBC (currently WABC Full Member^™), and 
• Be a current WABC member in good standing, and
• Successfully complete a WABC Accredited (Level 4 – ChBC) program. Completion includes submitting a self-directed portfolio project (or other suitable deliverable) and passing a final examination by an Assessment Board.

HOW TO MAINTAIN ChBC

To provide ethically sound and expert guidance, professionals in all areas of practice must keep up to date on the latest research and evidence on how to effectively serve their clients’ needs. 

A clear professional development strategy allows business coaches to stay relevant and innovative in providing the best possible expertise to their clients.

As a senior-level professional credential, you have a few ongoing requirements to maintain your credential that are designed to complement your coaching practice as an opportunity for learning and growth. 

As a ChBC, you must:

• Maintain your WABC membership: Join and renew your membership every year to remain in continuously good standing, and
• Re-certify your ChBC: Submit and pass your Professional Development Record (PDR) five years from the date you graduate from your WABC Accredited (Level 4 – ChBC) program, and every five years after that.

Taking a Sabbatical

Taking a sabbatical during your career may affect your ChBC credential.

• If you offer business coaching services during your sabbatical, you will retain your ChBC as long as you continue to meet the requirements (see “How to Maintain ChBC” above). If you do not meet those requirements, your ChBC will be revoked (see “When ChBC Can Be Revoked” below).
• If you do not offer business coaching services during your sabbatical, you are no longer eligible for WABC membership. You must resign your membership as specified in the Terms of Membership, and your ChBC will be revoked (see “When ChBC Can Be Revoked” below).

When ChBC Can Be Revoked

ChBC can be revoked under certain circumstances. Examples include not meeting the credential verification or re-certification requirements or being cited for a legal or ethical violation. If your ChBC credential is revoked, you will no longer be able to use the credential and you must remove all references to it, including logos, from marketing, promotional and other materials in your control (e.g., your website, résumé, signature block, LinkedIn). You must also return your non-refundable certificate to WABC.

HOW TO LIST ChBC

The Chartered Business Coach (ChBC) credential must be listed in a specific way, and the inclusion of either the ^™ or ^® symbol will depend on your country of residence. Please log in to your dashboard for further guidance and access to applicable WABC logos.

Credential Verification

At WABC, we support credible business coaches, and another way we do this and maintain our high standards as a professional association is through our credential verification service. This service requires members who hold academic degrees or professional designations from organizations other than WABC to have those credentials verified by us if they wish to list them in materials that display WABC trademarks (e.g., WABC logo, ChBC). For full details, refer our Credential Verification Policy.