In 1988, a group of outplacement professionals attending the Association of Outplacement Consulting Firms' (AOCF) Annual Conference, met under the leadership of Lou LeHane to discuss the need for a professional association, which would focus on the individual (in contrast to the AOCF's focus which was on the outplacement firms). By the 1989 AOCF Annual Conference, in a second meeting of over 100 outplacement professionals in Lincolnshire, Illinois, a steering committee formed to initiate the creation of a professional association.

This steering committee, led by Winnie Downes, met in Stamford, Connecticut, on December 3, 1989. With great enthusiasm and inspiration, the group drafted a purpose/mission statement along with short and long-term goals. Each person committed to accomplishing specific tasks before the next meeting, scheduled for March 1990. The organization was named the International Association of Outplacement Professionals (IAOP).

At the March meeting, the Mission Statement was officially accepted, the definition of outplacement was clarified and membership criteria was established. A draft of ethical standards was reviewed and plans were made for an IAOP membership meeting at the AOCF 1990 Conference to be held in October in Washington, D.C.

During this inaugural membership meeting, the outplacement professionals in attendance were presented with the mission, membership criteria and proposed structure for the IAOP. The positive response led to rapid growth of the new association.

The next year was spent with our first President, Winnie Downes, the newly elected Board members, and Regional Representatives busily developing chapters in seventeen targeted regions worldwide. Chapters started in all but five of those regions. Some of these chapters experienced fast development and growth, while others required significant work to find common needs and leadership among the outplacement professionals in that location. Throughout this and all of the IAOP's development, emphasis was placed on the "grass roots" philosophy that efforts should be tailored to the unique needs at the local level.

The 1991 AOCF/IAOP jointly sponsored conference in Chicago witnessed both increased participation in and further development of the Association. The Professional Development Task Force presented a preliminary draft of the outplacement professional competencies; programs, which could further develop these competencies and certification implications for future consideration. Also at this meeting, various chapters met to discuss common needs and differences. Several struggling chapters teamed up with more mature chapters for future mentoring, resulting in a giant step forward in the development of the IAOP.

The years of 1993/94 saw the launching of The Outplacement Institute (the name of which was changed in 1997 to the International Board for Career Management Certification) spearheaded by Jim Gallagher. This major accomplishment was a long-term project of the Board of Directors and the Professional Development Task Force. Certification was offered to outplacement professionals for the first time in February, 1994. The first group of certified Fellows and Associates was officially recognized at the Second Annual International Professional Development Conference held in Dallas, Texas, April 29-May 1, 1994.

Visit The Dallas/Ft Worth Chapter Website

A January 1994 Board of Directors meeting in Puerto Rico consisted of an intense strategic planning session to determine future goals which resulted in integrated new plans for all the committees. This served as a good transition process for Joan Strewler, who officially became the second President at the Annual Meeting later that year in Dallas. Also at this meeting, the membership voted to change the name of the Association to the International Association of Career Management Professionals (IACMP) reflecting the diversification of career services they were increasingly providing to clients.