CMC Spotlight on Cynthia Currence

Sometimes it helps to have persistent friends. That was the case when Cynthia Currence CMC, decided to hang out her shingle as a management consultant two years ago. "The advice and counsel I received from Manola Robison meant a great deal as I made my transition to private practice,” says Cynthia, who is CEO of Currence Associates and past Georgia Chapter president. "Manola said, if you’re going to be a consultant, you need to do it right. Then she made sure I did it.”

Cynthia teamed with David Shavzin, who was also a Chapter Board member, to start the CMC process. "We challenged each other and set deadlines to get our certifications. It was good to have a buddy getting certified at the same time,” she says.

Going through the certification process was an opportunity for Cynthia to think about the things that were core to being a good consultant and articulate the value she brought clients. "The CMC is something that helps me stand apart as a consultant – it means I’ve taken the time to meet the high standards set for certification,” notes Cynthia.

The CMC Code of Ethics provides a strong internal ethical compass for Cynthia and she is now more thoughtful about the nuances of client situations. "Without your internal compass aligned,” Cynthia points out, "you can be drawn into situations where the grey areas become difficult situations. You need to think: what are the ethical boundaries here and how should I be handling this differently. What’s ethical and right for the client should be the priorities.”

As a consultant, Cynthia has a knack for seeing assets in new ways, and she brings this ability to her clients at Currence Associates. "I always look for areas where we can listen to stakeholders and what we can learn,” she says. "This often leads to opportunities to leverage assets in a more competitive way. I like to think of it a as a treasure hunt.”

Before starting her firm, Cynthia was VP International Marketing for the American Cancer Society for 18 years and had been Senior VP of Marketing and Communications for the United Way. She chaired two national American Marketing Association conferences on strategic marketing, is leading the 2010 conference and Senior Marketers’ Summit, and serves on the AMA Foundation Board of Trustees.

She is also on the editorial board for Social Marketing Quarterly and is an international lecturer on branding and cause marketing. She was recently appointed the cause branding expert for the Global Marketing Network. She has a B.A. in Psychology and a Masters in Education.