SCIP and ACI joint venture for competitive intelligence certification

March 23, 2011 - PRLog -- Alexandria, Va. March 23, 2011 -- The Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) society and the Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence LLC (ACI) announce a new joint venture to advance the level of professional training worldwide by providing an accredited ACI Competitive Intelligence Professional (CIP™) certification program and making it available to a global business audience.

A well-constructed competitive intelligence program improves the ability of managers as well as senior executives to manage industry risk, respond to early signals of industry change, overcome competitive threats, and anticipate market opportunities in order to sustain or gain a competitive advantage. Competitive intelligence encompasses the practices of competitor, market, technological, financial, marketing, and strategic intelligence.

Named the “SCIP CIP™ Conferred by ACI,” the certification program will be taught by established ACI faculty and follow ACI’s accredited curriculum of courses (ACI is accredited by the International Association of Continuing Education & Training). This new joint venture will meet global corporations increasing need to provide high-quality competitive intelligence skills to their workforce as firms face a fast-changing and rapidly-intensifying competitive environment. SCIP can now provide its global audience access to the content of the world’s most admired certification program, to advance its members careers, and to enhance the depth and breadth of the competitive intelligence profession.

Scott Leeb of Prudential Retirement, a graduate of the ACI program and current Chair of SCIP’s Board of Directors, said “this merger benefits the membership by bringing the highest quality education and certification opportunities to all of our members.”

Ken Garrison, CEO of SCIP, added, “Over the last two years SCIP has expanded its global presence with conferences in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. We also have a growing global network of chapters and affiliate groups. Now we have the ability to offer a globally-acknowledged certification program to our members and senior managers in every corner of the world.”

Leonard Fuld, the Academy’s Chairman, comments that “Competitive intelligence has become part of the corporate fabric worldwide but the skills and standards vary widely. In this joint effort, the Academy and SCIP can help set the standards and raise the quality of the profession for companies everywhere.”

Ben Gilad, the Academy’s President summed it up: “You may not need a SCIP Certificate to be a star analyst, but with it, everyone knows you are.”

The first session of certification courses will be held this June 13th through 24th in Boston, Massachusetts:

• Intelligence Sources and Collection
• Competitive Benchmarking and Tactical Analysis
• Competitive Blindspots
• Cross-Competitor Analysis
• Creating and Running a World-Class Intelligence Organization
• War Gaming: Theory & Practice
• Value Chain Analysis
• Anticipating Innovation
• Scenario Analysis

Register for these courses through ACI at http://www.academyci.com/Seminars/register.html

Also join us at the SCIP 2011 International Annual Conference & Exhibition, the world’s largest gathering of over 700 competitive intelligence practitioners, held this May 9th through 12th in Orlando, Florida.

About Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP)

With members in over 70 countries, SCIP (formerly the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals) is a 3000-member global nonprofit membership organization for everyone involved in creating and managing strategic and competitive intelligence. Education and training have been a critical component of SCIP’s member services since the Society’ founding in 1986. Many SCIP members have backgrounds in market research, strategic analysis, or science and technology. www.scip.org

About Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence LLC

The Academy of Competitive Intelligence (ACI) is an educational institution dedicated to training managers and companies on how to manage risk and anticipate new market opportunities through the use of superior competitive intelligence. Developed and led by three of the leading thinkers and educators in the field -- Leonard Fuld, Ben Gilad and Jan Herring -- ACI is the only institution offering an accredited Competitive Intelligence Professional (CIP™) certificate program. This program has educated executives, managers and intelligence professionals from the majority of the Fortune 500 firms from 58 countries around the globe. www.academyci.com

1 CIP, Competitive Intelligence Certification, is an ACI trademark

For more information concerning the SCIP/ACI certification joint venture, please contact:

Ken Garrison, CEO
SCIP
+1.703.739.0696 x105
kgarrison@scip.org

Lynne Smith, Registrar
The Fuld Gilad Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence
+1.630.983.5530
lsmith@academyci.com

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SCIP is a global non-profit membership organization providing education and networking opportunities for business professionals working in the rapidly growing field of competitive intelligence. Started in 1986, today SCIP has members in 70+ countries.