The initiative has been led by Robert Wong, who was pivotal in the CMRP – Certified Marketing Research Professional accreditation – and supported by CRIC’s interim chief administrative officer, John Tabone, who founded the CMRP.

The first priority of CAIP Canada will be to adopt holders of the CMRP offered by the former MRIA.

Wong said: “In consultation with practitioners and employers, CMRPs stressed the need for a credible industry association to support their designation. With the endorsement of the Canadian Research Insights Council and Esomar, the CAIP will be the designation of choice for insights and analytics professionals in Canada.”

Other priorities will include adopting fellows of the former MRIA and developing the pathways for practitioners seeking to earn the CAIP designation. CAIP Canada will be working with the Principles of Marketing Research courses offered by the Marketing Research Institute International (MRII).

CAIP Canada is building a Board of Leaders from across the profession to help establish the syllabus, define the training pathways, and oversee a fair but rigorous examination process.