The Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), the global industry association for CX specialists, has laid out a broad plan of work for this year that addresses new research initiatives, certification together with continued credentialing requirements, and regional outreach efforts.

Founded 11 years ago and with members now in more than 60 countries, the group’s agenda for 2022 is being supported by more than 200 volunteers. The group is devoted to supporting CX professionals “to share, learn, inspire, and grow” in their careers, as they aspire to achieve “exceptional outcomes,” according to the organization’s newly sharpened mission and vision statements.

A new CXPA board of directors is in place, led by Nancy Porte and her team of 15 other CX professionals. Porte has been with the organization from the outset. “I am proud to serve as CXPA board chair at a pivotal time for our growth as an inclusive community and trusted voice for the discipline,” Porte said. “I am committed to helping CXPA achieve more by leveraging the strength of our diverse and talented community of members.”

A top priority for the group this year is to develop independent and trusted guidance on professional CX management practices. To build resources, more than 50 volunteers are participating in three projects leading up to the goal.

In one project, members are working to create a “Book of Knowledge,” which will serve as a resource guide on CX competency areas, based on a research-backed framework defining the role of CX leaders. A second project involves the production of a series of monographs to support CX professionals during collaborative work with a company’s finance, sales, and C-suite groups, as CX practitioners work toward facilitating better customer-related outcomes for organizations overall. A third project, conducted in collaboration with Quadient and the Heart of the Customer on the personalization experience, calls for researching the critical elements in play when CX professionals assume a leadership role in their first year.

Greg Melia, CEO of CXPA, spoke warmly of the group’s initiative to expand resources. “CX is a growing field, taught in more than 70 colleges and universities across the globe,” Malia said. “These new resources will add significantly to the customer experience body of knowledge by providing practical, independent-consensus guidance rooted in the real-life experience of CX leaders.”

Other Priorities

A continuing priority for the association this year is the administration of the Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) certification. Held currently by 1,288 professionals worldwide, the title is granted to individuals with the professional experience to lead or significantly contribute to superior CX management. They must also have passed a rigorous psychometric examination based on the CX framework of the CXPA.

Once earned, the credential must be maintained by CCXP holders through the completion of qualifying continuing education, which ensures that CX professionals stay abreast of evolving practice. A total of 18 CXPA-recognized trainers are present in 9 countries to help subjects test successfully for the certification, which is increasingly required in CX recruitment postings by companies. The exam trainers are located in Brazil, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Oman, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Israel, South Africa, and France.

With the CXPA also prioritizing efforts to be an accessible and relevant resource to CX professionals around the world, the group has formed 10 regional leadership councils—one each in Africa, Asia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Oceania, the UK, and the US. The leadership council includes representatives from major customer-centric organizations across the globe.