WORLD COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATION

What WORLD COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATION does

World Compliance Association (WCA) is an international non-profit association headquartered in Madrid, Spain, that delivers professional certification, third-party compliance management systems auditing, and training to compliance practitioners and organizations across Latin America and Spain. Founded around 2015/2016 and registered in Spain's National Registry of Associations (Sección 1ª, Número Nacional 613179; NIF G87755302), WCA operates through 16 international chapters spanning Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, with current leadership comprising President Alba Lema and Vice Presidents Felipe García Hernández and Iván Martínez.

The association's product surface includes a tiered Certificación Profesional WCA for individual compliance practitioners, a Certificación Sistemas Compliance (third-party audits of organizational compliance management systems aligned with ISO 17021 and ISO 19011), a specialized Certificación Investment Compliance, the WCA Academy training platform, the Biblioteca Compliance digital library, the Observatorio Compliance regulatory observatory, Boletines Compliance newsletters, compliance diagnostic tools (Diagnósticos de Situación), online compliance consulting (Consulta Online Compliance), and a Canal Ético whistleblowing channel operated through third-party Sofidya. Twelve specialized working committees cover fiscal, legal, labor, data protection, anti-fraud, investment, public sector, non-profit, education, and SME compliance domains. The underlying technology stack is conventional — a PHP-based web portal (worldcomplianceassociation.com) with standard third-party integrations including Google Analytics, AddThis, Sendinblue, Vimeo, and reCAPTCHA — and no proprietary AI or platform technology is disclosed.

WCA monetizes through a diversified, membership-anchored model spanning recurring individual and corporate membership dues, recurring professional certification fees, project-based systems certification audit revenue, training and accredited course fees, event and webinar registration plus sponsorship, and subscription access to publications and the compliance library. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with direct sales through the web portal and the chapter network; pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed. The association lists 60+ associated corporate entities (including Kroll, FTI Consulting, PwC Peru, Statkraft, Bantrab, Oleoducto de Colombia, FacePhi, Lexington, and Ejaso ETL Global) and 35+ collaborating organizations (including Asociación Española de Empresas contra el Fraude, Universidad Oberta de Catalunya, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, and Fundación Lealtad), reflecting a partner-rich ecosystem rather than reliance on any single anchor account.

Name

WORLD COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATION

Legal name

World Compliance Association

Website

https://worldcomplianceassociation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Compliance Association (WCA) is a Madrid-based international non-profit association providing professional certification, ISO-aligned compliance management systems auditing, and training to compliance practitioners and organizations across 16 countries in Latin America and Spain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Compliance Certification and Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Compliance Management (GRC, audits, reporting) (EDABADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD), International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA), International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ), Trade Compliance (Import/Export Controls, Customs) (EDABADAK)

Keywords

• Compliance certification
• Professional compliance training
• Compliance management systems
• Regulatory compliance services
• Anti-corruption education

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Certification: WCA offers professional certification programs for compliance practitioners at various competency levels, granting accreditation that validates knowledge and professional competence in compliance specialties.
2. Systems Compliance Certification: Third-party audit and certification services for organizational compliance management systems, conducted following ISO 17021 and ISO 19011 international guidelines by a team of expert professionals.
3. Training and Accredited Courses: Revenue from WCA Academy programs, webinars, accredited courses, and educational events. The association maintains a registry of accredited training centers.
4. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for professionals and entities associated with WCA, with tiers for individual professionals and corporate/organizational members.
5. Events and Congresses: Registration fees and sponsorship revenue from congresses, webinars, compliance encounters, and regional events organized by WCA and its international chapters.
6. Publications and Compliance Library: Sale of publications, compliance newsletters, and access to the Compliance Library and Observatory research materials.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

World Compliance Association is a Spain-based international non-profit association that provides professional certification for compliance practitioners and third-party certification auditing of organizational compliance management systems, in accordance with ISO 17021 and ISO 19011 international guidelines. It complements these core offerings with training programs through WCA Academy, member research resources such as the Biblioteca Compliance and Observatorio Compliance, specialized working committees, and an events program of congresses and webinars across 16 countries.

Product overview

World Compliance Association (WCA) operates as a multi-module compliance services platform offering professional certification programs, third-party system certification auditing (following ISO 17021 and ISO 19011 standards), educational resources through WCA Academy and Biblioteca Compliance, research through the Observatorio Compliance, and member services including a private zone, newsletters, webinars, and an ethical reporting channel. The organization functions as an association-based model with chapters across Latin America and Spain, providing compliance training, certifications, events, and advisory services to compliance professionals and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificación Profesional WCA (WCA Professional Certification) Professional certification program that accredits compliance professionals at different competency levels, validating their knowledge and professional competence in compliance disciplines for individual practitioners.
• Certificación Sistemas Compliance (Compliance Management Systems Certification) Third-party auditing services following ISO 17021 and ISO 19011 international guidelines that evaluate and certify organizational compliance management systems.
• Certificación Investment Compliance (Investment Compliance Certification) Specialized certification aimed at investment compliance professionals and the systems they oversee, covering investment-specific compliance competencies.
• WCA Academy Training and education platform offering courses and educational programs for compliance professionals across the WCA chapter network.
• Eventos y Webinars (Events and Webinars) Educational events program including webinars, congresses and compliance encounters delivered through WCA chapters for professional development and networking.

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PwC (Perú)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPwC Perú is listed as both a sponsor and associated entity, indicating a strategic relationship with WCA for compliance certification and advisory services.
• Kroll (Business Intelligence and Investigations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKroll is listed as an associated entity, providing due diligence and business intelligence services in partnership with WCA's compliance ecosystem.
• FTI ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor, FTI Consulting provides forensic and compliance consulting services within WCA's network.
• LexingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor and associated entity, Lexington is a professional services firm integrated into WCA's compliance ecosystem.
• STAREgisterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor, STAREgister provides certification and compliance verification services aligned with WCA's certification programs.
• Ejaso ETL GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor and associated entity, Ejaso provides tax and legal compliance services within WCA's network.
• Asociación Española de Empresas contra el Fraude (AEEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborating entity (Entidad Colaboradora), AEEF is a strategic partner in anti-fraud compliance initiatives, working with WCA's Anti-Fraud Technical Committee.
• Illustre Col·legi d'Advocats de Sabadell (ICASBD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborating entity, ICASBD provides legal compliance expertise through partnership with WCA's legal and compliance committees.
• Universidad Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a collaborating entity, UOC partners with WCA for compliance education and research programs.
• Universidad Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a collaborating entity, UCLM partners with WCA for academic research and training in compliance.
• Cámara de Comercio Internacional EspañaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborating entity, providing international trade compliance expertise and networking within WCA's ecosystem.
• Asociación Internacional para la Cooperación en la Prevención del FraudecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborating entity, this international anti-fraud organization partners with WCA's International PBC/FT/Proliferation Committee.
• Fundación LealtadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborating entity, providing non-profit compliance and governance expertise, working with WCA's Non-Profit Entities Committee.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists): ACAMS is the global standard-setter for AML certifications (CAMS) and runs a large member network with training and conferences. WCA's anti-fraud and PBC/FT committees and certifications overlap directly with ACAMS' AML-focused credentialing franchise.
• GARP (Global Association of Risk Professionals): GARP is a global, nonprofit membership association offering the FRM and ERP risk certifications, training, and events for risk professionals. It is directly comparable to WCA's investment compliance certification and risk-focused training business in its membership and certification model.
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): IAPP is the largest global association for privacy and data protection professionals, offering CIPM, CIPP, and CIPT certifications, training, and events. WCA's data protection committee and related certifications directly overlap with IAPP's privacy compliance franchise.
• OCEG (Open Compliance and Ethics Group): OCEG is a global, nonprofit compliance and GRC membership community offering the GRC Professional (GRCP) certification, training, and thought leadership. It competes head-to-head with WCA's systems compliance and professional certification offerings for governance, risk, and compliance practitioners.
• International Compliance Association (ICA): ICA is a UK-based international membership body offering internationally recognized compliance certifications (e.g., ICA Diploma, Cert CAMS), training, and events. It is the most direct international peer to WCA, with overlapping professional certification, AML, and ethics offerings.
• Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE): SCCE is the leading global membership association offering the Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) credential, compliance training, and conferences. It directly competes with WCA's professional certification, training, and events portfolio, but operates at significantly larger scale primarily in the US.

Broad incumbents

• ISACA: ISACA is a global, established association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity professionals offering CISA, CISM, CGEIT, and CRISC certifications. It is a broader incumbent competing with WCA's investment compliance and audit-adjacent certification lines rather than its core compliance credentials.
• Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA): IIA is the global professional association for internal auditors, offering the CIA certification and extensive training. It is a broader incumbent whose audit and risk credentials partially overlap with WCA's compliance systems certification and internal auditor training content.

Others

• EQS Group: EQS Group is a European-listed provider of compliance, whistleblower hotline, and GRC software used by listed corporates. It is an ecosystem partner and listed sponsor of WCA, adjacent rather than directly competitive, but representative of the for-profit compliance technology vendors WCA's members rely on.

Regional players

• Asociación Española de Compliance (ASCOM): ASCOM is the leading Spanish national compliance association, offering professional certification, training, and events to compliance officers primarily in Spain. It is a regional peer operating in WCA's home market with directly comparable certification and community offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/worldcompl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4_drogmllFF2If6-SwlKqA
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldcomplianceassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worldcomplianceassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldcomplianceassociationwca

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WORLD COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATION