Craig Harrison is a Senior Manager in Capita’s consulting unit, supporting central government clients to navigate complex transformation challenges. His career began in environmental regulation, underpinned by two environmental degrees and followed by more than a decade in the waste and resource management sector. During this time, he gained several professional memberships including becoming a Chartered Environmentalist in 2005 — a period when the environmental industry underwent rapid regulatory, technical and cultural change that raised the bar for professional standards.
Craig’s expertise in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, combined with his involvement in securing over £3bn of major environmental contracts, built a strong platform for career evolution. At 40, he successfully pivoted into business process outsourcing, before moving into management consulting at 42. Today, he is a proud advocate of the Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) accreditation, believing that chartership and continuous professional development together reinforce trust, capability, and long-term resilience across the consulting profession.
What does being chartered mean for the industry?
Clients face increasing scrutiny from their stakeholders to demonstrate ethical behaviour, financial sustainability and responsible governance. This extends to the partners and suppliers they choose. Chartered status enables the consulting industry to show that it not only aligns with these expectations but actively drives them.
Why does chartered status matter?
Chartered status signals professionalism, credibility, and commitment to recognised industry standards. It provides clients with confidence that a consultant has been independently assessed against a rigorous competency framework and operates ethically, responsibly, and effectively. In a competitive UK consulting market, Chartered consultants stand out — not just for their expertise, but for their commitment to quality, integrity, and ongoing development.
What is your advice to anyone considering the chartered journey?
Expect to grow. The ChMC journey can feel like a personal and professional rollercoaster — but for all the right reasons. Start by reviewing the ChMC competency framework and carrying out an honest gap analysis. Seek candid feedback from peers and leaders who have already gone through the process and thank them — it takes courage to give constructive feedback. Create a development plan that addresses both your strengths and gaps. Most importantly, begin the journey when you know you’re in a good psychological space and can commit the time needed.
What are the advantages of becoming chartered?
Continuous improvement is fundamental in consulting. The landscape evolves quickly — shaped by technology, shifting client expectations, and complex sector challenges. Developing and maintaining your skills ensures you remain adaptable, relevant and able to provide evidence-based, high-impact advice. The ChMC framework helps consultants benchmark and grow not only their technical expertise, but also their work winning skills, governance capability, client relationship management, and wider professional behaviours such as diversity and inclusion. It supports career progression, strengthens organisational capability, and promotes consistently high-quality delivery.
What do you see in the future for the chartered award?
ChMC is rapidly becoming the gold standard for UK consulting. As awareness grows among clients, it will increasingly become an expected baseline rather than an optional enhancement. In future, we may see ChMC embedded into procurement processes, quality frameworks and sector-wide capability expectations. It will also help harmonise standards across firms, contributing to a more trusted, transparent and mature consulting market.
Does the status raise standards?
Absolutely. As clients become more familiar with ChMC, they will increasingly look for Chartered consultants as a mark of assurance and professionalism. This helps ensure a level playing field — one where all consultants are expected to operate to high technical, ethical and behavioural standards. It strengthens both individual performance and the collective maturity of the profession.
What would you say to others thinking of starting their journey?
Do it. Even if you decide not to apply, simply benchmarking yourself against the ChMC framework offers huge value. It highlights your strengths, clarifies your development needs and helps shape your long-term career direction.
Why was the ChMC award important to you?
For me, becoming Chartered was about demonstrating that my transition into consulting was grounded in recognised capability and supported by a commitment to high standards. It validated the breadth of my experience while challenging me to continue growing. It also reinforced my belief that consultants should hold themselves accountable for delivering ethical, evidence-based, high-impact work.
Further information on ChMC can be found at www.mca.org.uk/chartered-management-consultant-accreditation