International Organization for Business Coaching

What International Organization for Business Coaching does

The International Organization for Business Coaching e.V. (IOBC) is a German-registered non-profit association (e.V.) founded on 30 July 2019 in Munich and operating as an international umbrella organization for business and leadership coaching. It develops and maintains proprietary quality standards — most notably the Coach Competence Model (CCM) covering 5 competency classes, 29 clusters, and 117 competencies — alongside a seven-step Coaching Process Model and an Ethics Code grounded in 11 anthropological principles. The CCM is currently under scientific evaluation by the University of Salzburg, providing third-party academic validation. IOBC does not sell software; its core product surface is standards documentation, a multi-tier certification system (Associate, Professional, Senior Coach, plus specialized tiers for organizations, educators, researchers, and internal coaches), and a public searchable directory of more than 1,000 certified coaches and providers.

IOBC monetizes through membership fees, certification fees, and certified education-provider licensing, using a GDP-per-capita-linked pricing schedule (0.00%–7.50% of IMF GDP per capita, updated annually) that ties fees to the economic capacity of each member's country. Distribution is partnership-led: three National Associations — Deutscher Bundesverband Coaching e.V. (DBVC), Austrian Coaching Council (ACC), and Deutscher Coaching Verband e.V. (DCV) — act as channel partners that refer members into IOBC's certification funnel, supplemented by direct membership and direct certification of training providers whose graduates pipeline into Associate Coach status. Customer segments span individual practitioners, internal/organizational coaches, coaching education providers, HR professionals and managers, and coaching researchers.

The organization is governed by a Management Board (President Ralf Gasche, Vice Presidents Dietmar Steinbach and Kerstin Ohrndorf, Secretary General Janine Wunder) and a Board of Directors chaired by Dr. Christopher Rauen, who is also 1st Chairman of DBVC. IOBC is member-owned with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds disclosed, and is GDPR-compliant while operating with a 9-person staff. Its strategic posture emphasizes global expansion of the network, scientific rigor in standards, and partnership-based distribution rather than technology-led disruption.

Name

International Organization for Business Coaching

Legal name

International Organization for Business Coaching e.V.

Website

https://iobc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Organization for Business Coaching (IOBC) is a German non-profit association that sets and certifies quality standards for business and leadership coaches worldwide. It certifies individual coaches, education providers, and institutional members through a GDP-linked fee model, operating a 1,000+ member network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Coaching Certification

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Senior Executive Coaching (EDABANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strategy, Decision-Making & Business Acumen Coaching (EDABANAH), Career, Purpose & Executive Wellbeing Coaching (EDABANAI)

Keywords

• Business coaching certification
• Professional coaching standards
• Executive coaching accreditation
• Coaching membership association
• Coach competence framework

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IOBC generates revenue through membership fees calculated as a percentage of GDP per capita of the member's country. All contributions range from 0.00% to 7.50% of GDP depending on membership type. One-time admission/recognition fees, one-time certificate fees, and annual membership fees are charged for all membership types.
2. Certification Fees: Revenue generated from certifying coaches, coaching providers, and education providers through examination of coaching expertise. Certified individuals receive a personal certificate and valid IOBC Certification Number.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The International Organization for Business Coaching (IOBC) is an international professional association that sets and verifies quality standards for business and leadership coaching. It certifies individual coaches (Associate, Professional, Senior Coach tiers), accredits coaching providers and education programs, and publishes the Coach Competence Model (CCM) covering 5 competency classes, 29 clusters, and 117 specific competencies. It operates a global searchable network directory of more than 1,000 certified coaches and providers.

Product overview

The International Organization for Business Coaching (IOBC) is an international professional association and standards organization for business coaching, not a software product company. Its core offerings consist of: (1) the Coach Competence Model (CCM), a comprehensive competency framework with five competency classes, 29 clusters, and 117 competencies that defines professional coaching requirements; (2) IOBC Standards covering coach competencies, ethics, coaching processes, and education standards; (3) a multi-tier certification system (Associate Coach, Professional Coach, Senior Coach, plus specialized certifications for organizations, educators, and researchers); (4) the IOBC Network, a directory of over 1,000 certified coaches and providers; and (5) certified coaching education programs that meet IOBC quality criteria. The organization operates as an umbrella association connecting national coaching associations worldwide, with current cooperation agreements with DBVC (Germany), ACC (Austria), and DCV (Germany).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IOBC Standards Demanding and verifiable quality standards for business coaching covering four domains: Coach competencies, Ethics, Coaching process, and Education & training. Forms the foundation for all IOBC certifications.
• Coach Competence Model (CCM) A comprehensive competency framework describing five competency classes with 29 competency clusters and 117 specific competencies required for professional business coaches. Currently under scientific evaluation by the University of Salzburg.
• IOBC Certification Programs Multi-tier certification programs for individual coaches (Associate, Professional, Senior), specialized certifications (Organizational Coaching Expert, Internal Coach, Scientific Coaching Expert), institutional certifications (Educational Provider, Institutional Provider), and partnership designations. Awarded after examination of coaching expertise.
• IOBC Network (Coach Directory) A searchable online directory of certified business coaches and coaching providers committed to IOBC standards, enabling potential clients to find qualified coaches by various criteria.
• IOBC Coaching Compendium Comprehensive documentation of IOBC quality standards covering coaches, coaching processes, professional ethics, and education/training requirements. Available as a downloadable PDF publication.
• IOBC-Certified Coaching Training Programs Audited and certified coaching education and training programs delivered by certified education providers, meeting IOBC quality standards. Graduates receive institute certificates with the IOBC logo and personalized IOBC Certification Number.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Austrian Coaching Council (ACC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ACC is the Austrian umbrella organization for coaching, serving as a platform to create a common forum for coaches, consultants, managers, and executives, promoting the development of a recognized professional profile for coaches in Austria and working on professionalization of the industry. ACC is a founding member and National Association of IOBC.
• Deutscher Bundesverband Coaching e.V. (DBVC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016DBVC is the leading association for business coaching and leadership in the German-speaking region, founded in 2004. It is the initiator, co-founder, and National Association of IOBC since 2016. DBVC members have significantly influenced and shaped the IOBC quality standards and provided them for worldwide use in business coaching.
• Deutscher Coaching Verband e.V. (DCV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCV stands for quality and professional diversity in coaching. It is committed to quality standards and certification, professional ethics, advocacy in politics and society, talent development, and services for coaches. Members benefit from an excellent network and professional home. DCV cooperates as a National Association with IOBC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Coach U / Coach Training Alliance: Coach U and similar coach-training schools represent the supply side of IOBC's education-provider certification pipeline. They are adjacent ecosystem participants — IOBC certifies training programs like theirs, and their graduates become potential IOBC-certified coach members.
• Global Code of Ethics for Coaching: The Global Code of Ethics is an industry-wide ethics framework which IOBC itself has signed onto. It is an adjacent ecosystem standard-setter rather than a direct competitor, but represents the broader ethical-standardization environment in which IOBC operates.

Direct peers

• Association for Coaching (AC): AC is a UK-headquartered global professional body for coaches, providing individual membership tiers, accreditation pathways, and a global directory. It overlaps directly with IOBC's value proposition of certifying business coaches and connecting them with clients, and competes for European and global coach mindshare.
• Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC): WABC is an international association specifically focused on business coaching certification (CBC, ChBC, RBC credentialing) and a business coach directory. WABC and IOBC are highly comparable — both occupy the niche of business-coaching-only certification as opposed to general coaching — and compete for the same target customers.
• International Association of Coaching (IAC): IAC is a global coaching credentialing body offering the IAC Coach Masteries and certifications across all coaching niches. While less Europe-anchored than IOBC, it is a directly comparable alternative for coaches seeking third-party certification and a coach directory listing.
• European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC): EMCC is the dominant European coaching and mentoring professional body, offering individual accreditation (Foundation, Practitioner, Senior Practitioner, Master Practitioner) and program accreditation across Europe. It is the closest peer to IOBC — both are European-rooted associations setting competency-based quality standards for executive/business coaches, but EMCC has substantially larger established membership.

Broad incumbents

• International Coaching Federation (ICF): ICF is the largest global coaching credentialing body, offering individual coach credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC) and accreditation of coaching education programs. It directly competes with IOBC for the same pool of business and executive coaches seeking internationally recognized certification, but operates at much larger global scale and broader scope (life, executive, team, health coaching).
• Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE): CCE is an established credentialing organization (formerly a National Board for Certified Counselors affiliate) that offers the Board Certified Coach credential and accredits coach training programs. It overlaps with IOBC on coach education program certification and individual coach credentialing for business and executive coaches.

Regional players

• Deutscher Bundesverband Coaching e.V. (DBVC): DBVC is the leading German-speaking business coaching association and IOBC's co-founder/initiator. It serves a similar DACH membership but as a national (rather than international) body. It is both a partner (referring members for IOBC certification) and a partial competitor for DACH-based business coaches.

Emerging players

• European Quality Coaching Centre (EQCC): EQCC is a Belgium-based European initiative providing quality labels and certification for coaching practice. It is comparable to IOBC as a European-rooted quality-standards body for coaches, though smaller in scope and coach-network size.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-organization-of-business-coaching

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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