[glossary_exclude]The Information Governance (IG) marketplace has been slow to mature, partly due to the lack of a comprehensive, updated, and valid IG certification that covers the full range of facets in the IG discipline. This prompted a group of IG leaders to form the new, “Certified Information Governance Officers Association” which can be found at cigoa.org.

The new “CIGO” certification encompasses the full range of IG sub-disciplines, including: data privacy, cybersecurity, infonomics, data governance, information risk, records & information management, eDiscovery, and more. A CIGO-certified professional will have proven that they are an “expert generalist” and well-qualified to manage IG programs. In addition, they must maintain at least 20 hours of continuing education units (CEUs) per year in at least three topical areas.

100% Online

The training and CIGO exam are given 100% online, so there will be no interruptions of service, which also avoids the hassle and risk of scheduling and going to a testing center.

Inaugural Class in August

Training and testing will begin in August for the inaugural class of CIGO candidates. Training will be August 17, 19 & 21, with four-hour class sessions running from 1PM-5PM Eastern Time. The initial course will be taught primarily by Robert Smallwood of the Institute for IG. Smallwood has taught hundreds of professionals to help them pass the ARMA Information Governance Professional (IGP) exam.

Comparing the CIGO vs  IGP

The ARMA IGP is an entry-level IG certification, whereas the CIGO is more advanced and comprehensive. The CIGO training and exam include data privacy, cybersecurity, infonomics, information risk planning, eDiscovery, records & information management, and more.

CIGO Governance Board Named

The CIGO Governance Board is made up of leading IG professionals from around the globe, including:

• Scott Allbert CIP FAI General Data Protection Services
• Richard Berlin MBA, IGP, Executive Director – Records Management, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Bryn Bowen CRM, Greenheart Consulting Partners LLC & MCCG Guyana Ltd.
• Baird Brueseke CIP, IGP Chief Operating Officer, IG World Magazine
• Monica Crocker CRM, PMP, CIP Operational Risk Consultant, Wells Fargo
• Dr. Patricia Franks PhD, CA, CRM, IGP  MARA Program Coordinator, San Jose State U
• Leigh Issacs  CIP, IGP  Director, Information Governance & Records, Proskauer Rose LLP
• Dennis Kessler  Head of Data Governance, European Investment Bank (Luxembourg)
• Doug Laney, Infonomics pioneer & author of Infonomics, Caserta Consulting
• Paula Lederman MLS, MBA Partner, IMERGE Consulting & U of Toronto (Canada)
• Rafael Moscatel, CIPM, CRM, IGP  Managing Director, IG, Compliance & Privacy Partners
• Michael Quartararo CEDS, PMP  President of the Association of E-Discovery Specialists
• Dr. Gordon W. Romney, Ph.D, Computer Science Department at University of San Diego
• Teresa Schoch MS, JD, CIPP/US/E, CIPM, CRM, IGP  Axiom Legal Services
• Tyler Selle CRM, IGP, ERMm, Director of RIM, McKesson Corp.
• George Socha JD, EDiscovery pioneer, co-creator of the EDRM & IG Reference Model
• Dr. Pieter van der Walt MDQM, Data Integrity Manager, Discovery Limited (South Africa)
• Chair: Robert Smallwood MBA, CIP, IGP, IG World, Institute for IG, author of Information Governance

Bundled Training & Testing Package

The CIGO Association has created the CIGO Pro™ training & testing package, which includes the 3-day live, online “CIGO Prep” course plus on demand access, CIGO Study Guide, mentoring access, one exam attempt, a two-year certification, and one membership in the CIGO Association. CIGO Pro™ is priced at $1,499, with some discounts available for the Inaugural Class.

More Information

Request more information at cigoa.org or by emailing: [email protected].

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