Certified Business Advisor Professional™

Become a Certified Business Advisor Professional™ (CBAV™)

The Certified Business Advisor Professional™ (CBAV™) is IBA’s foundational credential in cross-functional business advisory. Whether you work in a corporate role or a professional services firm, CBAV equips you to move beyond a technical niche — building fluency in finance, strategy, markets, and execution — so you can deliver measurable results and lead with confidence as a broad-based business advisor. Designed for ambitious professionals eager to distinguish themselves, CBAV lays the foundation to become a trusted, broad-based business advisor and positions you for advanced growth credentials.

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CBAV Certification: Your Path to Business Advisory Excellence

The Certified Business Advisor Professional™ (CBAV™) certification requires candidates to successfully complete and pass 15 IBA Core Courses (all online, on-demand, and self-study). These courses provide comprehensive knowledge and practical insights to help professionals excel as broad-based business advisors.

Explore Some of Our Course Offerings:

Our library spans key areas of business advisory, leadership, and strategic growth, including:

• MBA-in-a-Day: Core
• Becoming a Business Advisor: Core
• 80/20 Rule Training
• Lean Six Sigma White Belt Training
• “Good to Great” Training
• The ABC’s of AI
• Marketing Mastery (MBA Core Course)
• Strategic Thinking (MBA Core Course)
• 25 Game-Changing Strategies for Business Growth (PE Core Course)
• Value Creation & Strategic Growth (PE Core Course)

With topics ranging from foundational business concepts to advanced strategies in leadership, growth, and private equity, these courses ensure you gain the knowledge and tools needed to elevate your advisory skills and career.

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Who Should Enroll?
• Advisors & Consultants: Looking to deepen cross-functional business acumen and advisory capability.
• Corporate Professionals: Managers and analysts seeking to expand beyond operational roles into strategy and advisory.
• CPAs & Controllers: Ready to evolve from reporting to business insight and strategic guidance.
• Private Equity & Business Development Professionals: Seeking stronger fluency in value creation, growth strategy, and advisory leadership.
• Consulting & Accounting Firm Leaders: Wanting to build an advisory-driven culture and upskill their teams.
• Rising Professionals: Building a career foundation rooted in financial fluency, strategy, and execution.

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Benefits for Individuals
• Recognition of Expertise: A mark of distinction for broad-based business advisory.
• Career Advancement: Open doors to advanced roles, responsibility, and compensation.
• Enhanced Skill Set: Gain fluency across finance, strategy, growth, and execution.
• Professional Credibility: Signal trusted advisory capability to clients and peers.
• Community & Networking: Connect with a vibrant IBA network of advisors and leaders.

Benefits for Firms
• Competitive Edge: Demonstrate a firm-wide commitment to advisory excellence.
• Client Confidence & Business Development: Differentiate proposals with CBAV-certified talent and win higher-value work.
• Professional Development: Provide a clear advancement path that improves retention.
• Quality Assurance: A recognizable standard that reinforces delivery quality.
• Brand Prestige: Align with a credential synonymous with broad-based business acumen.

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Requirements for the CBAV Certification:

To qualify for the CBAV certification, candidates must:

Complete 15 IBA Core Courses: All courses are online, on-demand, and self-paced. Select any 15 Core Courses that align with your goals.

Pass Each Quiz with 70%+: Demonstrate mastery across the curriculum with a passing score on each course quiz.

Submit Your Transcript & Finalize Certification: Email a PDF transcript from your “My Courses” dashboard to contact@theIBA.org, and pay the $300 certification fee to receive your official, personalized CBAV Certificate.

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Built-In Advisory Toolkit Included

Every CBAV learner receives full access to MBA-in-a-Box™ — IBA’s on-demand advisory toolbox and learning hub. This includes practical tools, business business book summaries, business insights, and real-world resources to help you elevate client value faster.

Your CBAV journey is backed by a 24/7 library of business ideas, case studies, and actionable tools — plus complimentary enrollment in all IBA Core Courses. Move from knowing to doing — with support you can access anytime.