Amplify Your Capability: Building Future-Ready Business Analysts Through IIBA Certification

In a world shaped by AI, rapid change and increasing business complexity, technical knowledge alone is no longer enough.

Organisations need Business Analysts who can influence strategy, enable transformation and deliver measurable business value. This session explores how the IIBA certification framework supports the deliberate development of business analysis capability, from emerging professionals to strategic leaders. Rather than viewing certifications as milestones to collect, participants will discover how each credential builds the knowledge, skills and credibility required for today’s evolving BA profession. Through practical examples, career pathways and real-world scenarios, attendees will leave with a roadmap for selecting the right certification, aligning professional growth with organisational needs, and amplifying their impact as Business Analysis professionals.

Key Takeaways

• Recognise the capabilities required of today’s and tomorrow’s Business Analysts.
• Navigate the IIBA certification framework to accelerate professional growth.
• Apply a practical roadmap to amplify personal impact, organisational value and career progression.

About the Speakers

Lucy Davies is an experienced Business Analysis professional with over 25 years of experience across the construction and financial services industries. A CBAP®, CCA, CPOA and CDBA certified practitioner, she currently works as an Integration Specialist, designing end-to-end business journeys by connecting disparate systems and data sources into seamless, intuitive experiences that deliver client, user and business value.

Drawing on her background as a Business Analyst and CRM Product Owner, she helps organisations connect the dots across best-of-breed platforms to enable efficient, customer-focused processes. Lucy was Regional Deputy Director for Africa on the IIBA Global Chapter Council and a former President of IIBA South Africa. Since 2015, she has facilitated CBAP® certification preparation bootcamps, combining her passion for lifelong learning with practical guidance that helps Business Analysis professionals build capability and amplify their impact.

Blake Heggestad is Director of Global Programs and Partnerships at the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), a nonprofit professional association serving business analysis practitioners worldwide. He leads IIBA’s global certification, membership, and partnership strategy across corporate, academic, and training provider channels, overseeing a team that spans multiple countries.

With more than two decades in enterprise sales and partnership leadership, including as Vice President of North American Sales at Learning Tree International, Blake brings a practical, results-driven perspective to professional development, credentialing, and go-to-market strategy. He has led IIBA’s global partnership growth for four consecutive years and championed the integration of AI-driven tools into sales, partnerships, and program development.

Blake holds a Master of Information Systems from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and International Business from the University of Richmond. A Northern Virginia native, he lives with his wife, Donna, their two kids, and their rescue beagle, Wrigley. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, golfing, and playing guitar for a very patient audience of family and friends.